One in the Same
by lulucute
Summary: Hisana has been found and returned to her husband, but he is not the man she remembers...
1. Chapter 1

"Where are you going old man?" Shunsui asked, suddenly appearing behind Ukitake. The white haired man started and spun around to face the hat wearing Taicho.

"For a walk." He answered uneasily, not meeting the gaze.

"I know you're lying to me," Shunsui answered easily, stepping closer to the pale man, "but I won't press you." Ukitake looked at the straw hat on the head that moved past him and at the pink clothed back; he was coming and there was no point in contesting it. Shunsui stepped out of the Sereitei, and began his way along the tiled area towards the dirt streets of the Rukongai.

"It must be important," Shunsui broke the silence over the too long journey past the green tiles.

"What must be?"

"For you to go yourself in that uniform, whatever the business it it must be important," Shunsui noted casually. Ukitake looked down at his white robed self- he had considered wearing something more casual, but as she was, she probably wouldn't believe him unless there was some obvious sign of authority.

"It's more convincing this way," Ukitake answered easily, tucking his cold hands into his sleeved, despite the midday heat he was freezing.

"You should be in bed," Shunsui continued, noting the slight shiver of the man, a shiver should not exist in the summer's heat. The tile came to an end abruptly and they were walking along a clear dirt area, towards ramshackle houses and narrow dirt streets.

"It's important," Ukitake relented and Shunsui's eye gleamed.

"Really? What is it?" Never the one to be discreet, especially around his friend, Shunsui pounced at the bait without care for consequence. Ukitake, with great determination, held his tongue. Shunsui waited patiently for the response, but there was only the sounds of their sandals shifting the dirt of the ground and with passing time Ukitake realized he had no intention of giving a response and slowly sobered to patience. They walked along a narrow dirt path that was not filth for the souls here did not need to eat and had no waste- but their existence none the less derelict with its broken homes and naked children in the streets- though the men and women despite tattered clothes looked far from worn. They all stopped to looked at the man with the zanpactu and pink robes and straw hat, his counterpart lacking as much color as the other had, with his flowing white hair and clean robes- there was no wont or envy on their part for seeing these people for they experience no hunger or hurt yet sill they were a passing curiosity. Shunsui turned down a side path that did smell filthy and the dirt was damp with piss, wooden bins stinking with rot waiting to be taken out. A young girl came out, her face worn and quickly stuffed a hot dumpling into her mouth. She looked up in the narrow alley, for the first time noticing the pair, slightly luminescent in the gloom and choked soundlessly. Quickly she swallowed and wiped away her tears.

"Please don't tell cook," She begged, swiping at her lips that were parched. She looked thin and pale, a flower that was dying in the darkness. She looked from the luminescent man with his long white hair, smiling patiently at her to the man who had raised his straw hat to look at her.

"Well bless my soul," Shunsui murmured, taking in the violet blue wide eyes, the small frame and the black head.

"Hisana!" Came the loud bawl from the inside. The girl started and rushed to the door.

"Yes?" Came the wavering response and she disappeared back into the building.

"How did you find her?" Shunsui demanded, looking incredulously at his friend.

"There were reports of a Rukia look alike in the Rukongai, I came her to see for myself." Shunsui looked at his friend's remorseful face that would not meet his gaze. Shunsui pulled down his hat.

"I suppose you haven't told Kuchiki." It was not really a question, because he knew the answer.

"It has to be her decision," Ukitake answered evenly.

"So what are you going to do now?" Shunsui wondered, a smile pulling at his face, being with his friend was always so interesting. The response was to step through the doorway from which she had come. Shunsui followed the white man and emerged into a low ceiling room, hot with the fire that roared beneath a squat black stove. The air was full of the smell of roasted flour and the delicate smells of soups. Two girls rushed past them, looking rather harried as a male voice shouted orders at their perspiration drenched backs. They looked too thin and rather tired and when thy noticed the rather out of place white clothes that looked like the midday sun they had not seen in a while, they stopped and stared.

"Well hello," Shunsui smiled gently at the pair, touching his hat gently, "do you know where your boss is?" One looked form the man in pink to the man of white and the other looked away guiltily and scratched her face with a thin finger.

"He's back there," the starer answered, gesturing in the direction of the voice that called for a bowl of soup and a bottle of sake. The thin girl with a guilty face hurried away for the order and the pair went off in the direction of the voice. A few short strides across the wooden kitchen floor and they were in the cool of the dining area full of customers sitting languidly in wooden benches set on either side of long tables. The low din stopped and white eyes stared at the bodies in the gloom.

"May I help you sirs?" The Taichos noticed the man at their shoulders, bowing slightly at them, the features of a fox, eying their well dressed bodies knowing \where they came from and hoping for a sale.

"Yes, we are interested in one of your waitresses." Shunsui answered graciously at which the man's brow jumped sharply.

"I m sorry sir," He answered softly, "but this is a tea house, not a brothel." Ukitake laughed and waved his hands nervously.

"What my friend meant was that we are interested in one of your waitresses, she has a past with us." The man's features darkened.

"What kind of past?" He demanded. "Both of my waitresses claimed and swore o their souls they were virgins."

"And I'm sure they are, but fifty years ago one of your waitresses was married to one of us." The features changed from suspicion to curiosity.

"Which one?" He demanded.

"Hisana." He scoffed and turned away from them.

"The princess eh? Never could work more than a few hours without stealing some food," He seemed poised to spit, "take the little wretch a bad investment eating at the heart of a good man like me." Just then the girl emerged, in her arms a tray of food, he snatched it from her. "You're fired." She stared back at him with wide shocked eyes.

"What?"

"You herd me, you're their property now," She stared at the pair of men and her face crumpled in fear. She looked back at the owner of the house but he had already turned away and was pushing past Shunsui and Ukitake to get back in his kitchen. Shunsui smiled down at her and she swallowed hard.

"You have anything to get?" Ukitake asked gently. This was not how he intended it to go, but since she was out of a job, he figured she hadn't much of a choice now- as he said, she was their concern now.

"I'm wearing all I own," She answered softly.

"Well," Shunsui sighed looking around at the customers who were trying not to look too interested in them, "we'd better be going." They shuffled past the rows of wooden benches and tables and into the sharp white of the midday sun and looking up and down the narrow streets where children played, started off for the looming form of the white walled Sereitei, stopping when he heard only one set of footsteps behind him. Hisana was still standing in the middle of the dusty street, staring at the tea house form which she had come. Her sin healed the same luminescent quality as Ukitake but she was by far smaller, dirtier and looked less rested.

"Aren't you coming?" She looked up at him, a set determination on her face that made her look like Rukia.

"What is this all about?" She asked softly, there was no demand to it, but it compelled them to speak- no wonder Byakuya chose her for a wife.

"I will explain it once we are in the Sereitei-" Ukitake began.

'No, I want to know now," She answered evenly, "I am not Shinigami material, I might have some reiatsu but not enough, not yet so why?" Ukitake sighed.

"Not how you planned eh?" Shunsui jested, "quite the fire cracker."

"As stubborn as Kuchiki." Ukitake sighed.

"Kuchiki?" Ukitake looked back at her in surprise, she wasn't supposed to remember anything.

"Yes, it is the name of-"

"A noble from the Four great houses."she answered loosely, her face crumpled in distrust.

"Where did you hear that from?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"The servants of traveling nobles eat somewhere."

"It's also the name of," Ukitake fell to a fit of coughing. The trip was taking a toll on him. He needed to be back at home, in bed with lemon grass tea and soft sheets. His bod wracked with coughs and blood appeared on his fingers. Shunsui took his friend's shoulders and steered him up the street to the Sereitei. The man in pink looked back at the girl in her pastel-blue dirty kimono.

"You can come if you want." Hisana looked back at the shadowy tea house.

**AN- This story's been on my mind now and keeping with my new years resolution, I am writing stories instead of letting them back up on me, hope you stick around to find out what happens next!**


	2. Chapter 2

Hisana looked from the shadowy tea house to the pair who were making their shuffling way up the road and then at the white walls of the Sereitei. She could easily deny theses men and walk way, down the dirt path, into the world she knew, get a job in a few days- there was no way her pride would allow her to go back and beg for her job- have a merge meal and at present, go home to the orphans she lived with and tell them she was fired. She wasn't really starving, they had a garden of fruit but it was tiring to always eat peaches and melons. Still, it was flattering that this sick man- this Taicho from the Gotei thirteen would seek her out and needless to say, she was intrigued. She turned around, feeling a little light headed as she did and hoped there was food where ever she was going.

It felt odd though, the people she knew personally and vaguely, walking past them, up the dirt streets to the white waled place and wondered if she would ever be seeing them again. Ahead the man in pink was fussing over his white friend who hung limply on his counterpart's shoulder, gasping slightly.

"Don't worry old friend, we'll be home soon." Despite the circumstances, Hisana's lips twitched- old he was, she thought, according to rumors the head of them all was at least two thousand years old- and if they were friends- Hisana shook her head slightly, she would rather keep her mind on the present situation- what did this Kuchiki have to do with her and which one were they talking about -the noble or his sister? They emerged from the crowd of ramshackle buildings that she had known all her life and over the wide empty dirt space.

Her pulse quickened as they came closer to the green tiles and then she was stepping on them. She kept her attention on the pair of backs, hunched against each other like a pair of excited boys. The white walls opened and beyond it she could see the white of tiles and buildings designed perfectly. She followed them in silent awe, along these white buildings with walls straight and perfect, up one path and along another, her head getting lighter and lighter as she went deeper into the Sereitei, feeling the reiatsu of the people who dwell there. Then they were at a pair of doors that stood open, showing her a garden of beautiful flowers. The pair of men went in and persons in black rushed to the man in white, taking him gently up the stairs. One girl with orange hair and a boy cut fussed and fought with a larger boy with black hair, both of them claiming superiority all the way up the stairs until the sick spoke.

"Take care of my guest," He managed weakly before his friend took the white man out of their care and shut the door behind them. The two looked back eagerly at her and sopped suddenly, their faces going white.

"You're-"

"Hisana." She answered with a soft smile, hoping to wipe the shock off their faces but it only made the pair pale.

"HISANA!" The boy gasped and she nodded patiently, wondering if they were deaf or something. Just them the man in pink stuck his head out, hat-less showing dark brown hair.

"Oh and you two, don't tell her anything," They looked back at him in shock.

"Y-yes Shunsui-Taicho!" They chorused.

"Oh and Kiyone, it would do nicely for your figure if you pulled your uniform a little tighter," He remarked and winking, disappeared behind the doors again. The girl turned back to Hisana, cheeks with a hint of blush on them. Hisana shook her head slightly, if she were this Kiyone, that Taicho's balls would be on the floor, she folded her arms under her chest, just let him try any of that pathetic smooth talking on her.

"Shunsui Taicho likes you," the boy grinned.

"Oh shut it Sentaro!" She snapped, sending a punch at the boy who received full in the face.

"WHAT THE HELL, I WAS ONLY SPEAKING THE TRUTH!" Sentaro yelled back. Kiyone glowered at him.

"Shut it you son of a dog before I give you another one," Her face was dark and that seemed to put fear into Sentaro. Hisana let out a laugh, light and as lusty as a breath of Spring's air after a long winter.

"the both of you," She smiled at the pair who were staring at her, " remind me so much of my orphans." She laughed again but the exertion made blackness explode in her vision.

"Are you all right?" The pair were at her side, her head in Kiyone's lap and Sentaro had produced a fan from no where. Hisana sat up nodding, touching her still spinning head.

"Just a little light headed," She answered rubbing at her hair- greasy and smelling sour, she wrinkled her face, "could I by any chance have a bath? A cold one would be preferable."

"A bath, yes and a meal too?" Sentaro offered.

"Yes please," She answered softly and the two rushed off.

"Coming right up!" They yelled back at her and went off grumbling amongst themselves.

"She told me too!" Sentaro snapped.

"Yes, but she's under MY charge!" Kiyone answered and then they dis appeared behind a building, out of her range. Hisana lay back down on the ground. This was all a bit much for her and her head got lighter with every passing moment but despite it all, the sky was the same. Bright blue like a breath of ice with a glare of a white cloud breathed into it. Not minding the soft smells and the light sounds of the birds around her- she felt safe again and everything was right with the world and slowly she drifted off.

_Hands, in front of her face, white and shaking, along her arms, red silk golden embroidery, finery and hands. Her face in a mirror gilded gold, white and pale but eyes full of happiness she cannot recall. Hands on around her waist, strong and firm, black haired head and face full of shadows._

"_Hisana," The words were breathed into her ear she smiled and curled into the body behind her, hands slipped down her belly._

"_Hisana," her pulse quickened,_

"Hisana!" She started awake, she way lying on her back in the lap of the girl who stared down at her worriedly, "Are you all right?" Hisana stared up at the wooden beams of the roof behind the girl's head, her heart pounding- she had dreams like that before but never that one.

"Y-yes," She answered, sitting up rubbing her head.

"What were you trying to do, give yourself a heat stroke?" Sentaro demanded, she looked at him and he blushed. "I-i mean..."

"It's all right," She answered, realizing just then she held some kind of power over them, one she usually had over people but this one was tinged with fear, "is my bath...?"

"Yes, right this way." the cold water ripped though her senses, clearing the vague sense of de-javu and leaving her only the facts. Two men show up from the Sereitei asking for her, now she's taking a bath in the Sereitei, the two other people she had met were afraid of her- that didn't make a squat of sense. Hisana sighed and doused herself in water and watched it splatter on the wood between her thighs, her mind wandering back to the dream- so full of love and passion, with whom did she spend- her eyes widened, wait, they mentioned something about Kuchiki... the dreams... but when did she...? Hisana's eyes widened more and she let out a horrified breath, did this mean she wasn't a virgin? Her stomach turned, she felt sick and afraid and suddenly quite vulnerable.

"Ah, excuse me," Hisana started and looked back to see Kiyone standing shyly in the door way, "do you need help scrubbing your back?" Hisana looked back down at her lap, her heart pounding ,what ever had happened this girl was very much afraid of her, it seemed everyone knew about it so that crossed out the option of rape.

"Y-yes please," She answered softly. Hisana threw water over her head again and exhaled, what other options were there? Mistress, the word came clearly in her head and her heart started again, that was it, she had been this noble's mistress, why else would she have memories of finery and making love in the dark, why else would a noble dress her up and love her down. There were stories about the man having a wife and some kind of scandal with the noble family- she was the scandal, she was Kuchiki's mistress! Still that left the how and when to question.

"tell me something," Hisana said suddenly, turning around to face the girl who had seen rubbing at her back, "have you ever seen me before?" Kiyone stared at her face and then her chest.

"Y-yes, in a sense," Hisana bit her lip, mistress? Maybe she should ask about the wife, about who she was... the girl was staring at her chest.

"What?"

"Y-you have a lot more..." Kiyone answered, " a lot more than a girl your size." Hisana looked down at her chest at the bulges that looked somewhat out of place on all that rib. She pressed them together, blocking out the view of her caved stomach.

"Yeah, I do don't I," She laughed and absently poured the cold water over her shoulders. Kiyone winced at the feel of the freezing cold that splashed on her too. "He never approved of cold baths, said they were bad for my health," She said suddenly, as she watched the water turn from streams to drips on her skin.

"Who?" She looked up at the girl, she could see the door behind her, open showing a man in pastel clothes, a smile on his lips, face of shadows, none of it though was real.

"I don't know." Hisana sighed, "I don't know who was in love with me."

_Her skin, as bare and pale as bone, caught in the moonlight, pimpled with the feel of breath in her ear, lips on her neck, hands on her thighs, depressed slightly into her flesh._

"_If it hurts tell me," The man behind her she trusted, passion flamed in her belly, "i will stop if it hurts you too much." She swallowed hard and looked along her white belly, into the darkness where she could feel the perversion of a man waiting. White hands captured her face and she turned her head to the darkness of a face where nameless passion resided._

"_Tell me," He filled her with a wave of vague pain and a depth of pleasure._

Hisana started awake, finding herself lying on her back and let it all rush back to her- the men, the bath, the meal and now the bed in a wooden gallery, some distance away the bright of the garden and the sweet of flowers. Hisana sat up, it was perfectly normal, according to her friend, for a virgin to dream of having sex but she never told her friend that her partner was a nameless creature that stirred emotions in her that put fear in her soul. She lay back down still feeling tired and gazed up at the wooden ceiling, this dream she had glimpsed before but this would be the first time she had ever experienced the whole thing. She turned over, willing herself to fall back asleep, who knew if she would be allowed to stay- what if her assumption was wrong- what if they wanted her for another purpose? There were stories like that, of women and children being taken from the Rukongai to assist the Sereitei and then put back out. Hisana rolled around in her uneasy thoughts and sat up, she needed to talk to those men. She stumbled out of bed, she didn't need anyone, she knew where they were.

"Hisana," Shunsui smiled, looking up as the door rattled open, revealing a small woman with a full bust.

"Are you in better health?" Hisana asked, glaring at the man of white, now donned in a green kimono with summer designs. He smiled tiredly at her.

"I do feel better," Hisana did not bother for a formal invitation, she walked up to the foot of the futon and looked down at him, she needed to know now what they wanted from her, there was no need for the torture.

"Why?"

"Please, have a seat," He answered, gesturing to a cushion beside her friend. Hisana looked it over and sat stiffly.

"I must say, Kuchiki does have quite the taste in women-" Shunsui began.

"Shunsui Taicho," Hisana spoke softly, her urgency and annoyance giving her soft tones a dangerous edge, "kindly desist flirtatious remarks on your behalf for the entirety of my stay here at the Sereitei." She looked at him, there was no need for an or, the murder in her eyes spoke for themselves.

"Such a strong woman you are," the sick man laughed nervously. She drew her gaze away from a grinning Shunsui.

"Exactly how I remember her, eh Ukitake?" He chuckled.

"You remember me?" Hisana lost her rage and was now driven by concern.

"you have had the occasion of residing with us briefly in the Sereitei-"

"Ukitake," Hisana retorted softly, her eyes full of urgency, she needed to know now, she had been waiting for too long, "please spare me the formalities," she leaned closer, "please just tell me," she whispered, taking the limp white hand on the lap, "please, tell me, who was the man I loved?" Ukitake started back at her, stunned by the depth of emotions in those blue violet eyes that held the confused violence of a stormy sea. He blinked several times, drawn back suddenly into the warm summer's air of his comfortable bedroom and momentarily forgot her question.

"The man," Ukitake answered dazedly, reaching into his sleeve, "the man who loved you," he drew out a photograph and replaced his hand with it, "Kuchiki Byakuya is the man who loves you."

**AN- Sorry for taking so long, the real world corrupts the world of fantasy... any who, hope you enjoyed this chap and do stick around for the other!**


	3. Chapter 3

Hisana glanced at the picture and rapidly shook her head.

"No, this isn't the man who loved me," his face looked too white against all the dark in the picture, she might not have been in that world for to long, but she would know the man she loved when she saw him, she was certain of it.

"Look again" Ukitake bid softly. She looked at him with certainty and he marveled at her hardheadedness- so Kuchiki like before she bowed her head and looked back at the photo. At first she saw a man pale and cold, undeterred, perfect- white and black in the right proportions and slowly, before her very eyes, she saw him change, his features sharp softened, the mask of his perfection faded away and beneath it she could see a shell of a man. Gently she traced the perfect features, lips and nose exactly the same, skin flawless, but the eyes had lost something, it lose a passion that had once burnt brightly and somewhere in there, behind all that gray, hope sat, a weak body of patience.

"Byakuya -sama," She murmured, the name came unbidden and she felt a pain for him- he suffered too greatly, for too long.

"This is not the man who loved you , this is the man who loves you."

"He died," She murmured, taking in the white of the chest showing through the folds of the uniform, he seemed to glare at her form between his bangs and his face was held taut but without the tightening of a single muscle, but to her it seemed a spirit had taken over her love's body and was doing a bad job of impersonating him.

"May I see him?" She asked softly, putting the picture face down on the mat before her and looked up at the white man who smiled expectantly at her.

"Of course, Shunsui Taicho-"

"NO, I would lie to see him alone," She answered quickly and hoped she didn't come off as harsh, "if you don't mind." She added- it wasn't just that she didn't enjoy Shunsui Taicho's audience and would tempt her into violence but also, she wanted to go there with a single mind, uncorrupted by details of the past and see him.

"He is in squad six." Her brow arched severely.

"He is a Taicho?" She bit her lip and turned the picture over again, she thought her dreams were mistaken but the man who they said would correspond with her fantasies of passion had indeed gained muscles over time, in fact he no longer held a softness, but instead he looked wall solid and rather fierce. "How long have I been dead?" She wondered suddenly.

"Fifty four years." Ukitake answered solemnly- it was enough time to change a man. She got up and wandered out into the bright sunshine and she wondered if too much had changed and if he was irreparable. She turned stopped suddenly and looked back, she had wandered away from the red door and now she was lost. she looked up the alley, it was the same clean gray, she looked down, everything was exactly the same, not a blemish she could claim to know otherwise. Maybe if she went... she turned up and decided what was best and made a firm way up the street, if she didn't know where she was going, it was time to know now. She walked up the alley and looked down the alley that broke the solid wall, it was exactly the same as the one she was walking up, she looked being her, gray brick and clean streets, she looked up the street she was walking and wanted to the next break, same thing, she walked to the next one, no change, she went to the other and the other and the other, her heart was beginning to race, it was a bit terrifying, the whole world had become a world of gray white walls and clean stone streets.

"Rukia!" the giggle came deliciously and Hisana looked about at the sound of a human voice, who ever it was, maybe they could help her. She stopped and her eyes widened oh so slightly at the sight of the massive bust that strained in the bare constraints of the black uniform and the tumble of golden curls that bounced with her every movement as she walked confidently up to the small woman. "You are back early!" Hisana stared at the woman, Rukia, the name sounded so familiar. The busty woman frowned at the violet eyed woman who stared back at her,. "Are you all right Rukia?" She gaped for a moment at this woman's familiarity with her- it was probably she just went along, what ever was going on.

"Yes, I am fine," Hisana answered quickly and broke into an easy smile and the woman frowned

"What has you so happy?" Hisana quickly wiped the smile off her face- wrong move.

"I... um... thought I would try something different." Hisana answered quickly, "i wouldn't hurt if I were... if I were more...."

"Easygoing?" She offered.

"Yes, yes, easygoing, if I were more easygoing," She flashed the busty woman a wide smile. The busty woman looked at her intently for a moment and shook her head.

"Well so long as you're doing it for yourself Rukia," She answered, gently touching Hisana's shoulder. Her hand was well manicured and warm and soft against her shoulder. "But your robes are so chique!" She gasped, suddenly stepping back and taking her in. Hisana looked down at the yellow thing with pictures of flowers and grasses on them.

"Thanks." Hisana laughed, touching the blue obi that held it all in place, "I do look nice don't I."

"I would have never dreamed of you wearing yellow," the busty woman answered, "I always thought you were more into conservative colors!"

"All part of the change," Hisana laughed, pulling at the sleeves.

"So do you want to go and get a drink? We could invite Renji along, probably get some of those other idiots to come along..." She sighed heavily and flicked her hair.

"Actually, I was gong to Sixth Squad, maybe after?"

"Sixth Squad?" the busty woman surveyed Hisana.

"I just wanted him to know I'm back," Back from what, she could not say.

"Where were you going anyway?" She wondered, studying the kimono that on the average woman was quite ordinary, but considering it was Rukia, it was a bit of an extravagance.

"there's nothing wrong with wanting to dress up a little now and then." She smiled coyly and looked up the gray street, wonderig which way was her husband.

"Well I guess if we have to, but I just hope he still isn't mad at me." She sighed, twirling at the ends of her hair. Hisana's ears perked.

"Why?" Was this woman in anyway with her husband?

"Well the Women society had a party in his house and we left a bit of a mess and he didn't let us clean up, he just ordered us out." Hisana frowned slightly, party? In his house? That sounded so unlike her husband but from described reaction she figured he head not turned back to his 'playboy' ways.

"Where are you going?" Hisana asked, hurrying to follow the woman who was walking easily away with her long legs.

"Don't you want to go see your nii-sama?" She wondered quizzically.

"Yes," How convenient, now she didn't have to ask any revealing questions as the woman took the lead and maneuvered the streets. Now that she was on her way, Hisana began to feel apprehension, her initial thought was that he would recognize her, but would hat mean his facade would just fall off and he would wrap her up in his arms and...? She winced at the uncharacteristic idea of her husband crying, or kissing her in public. Their relationship had always been a publicly tame one, or at least as far as her memories would go but her memories did extend to a certain Rukia whom she could not claim to accurately know. She did know many people said she resembled the girl badly- the pampered little princess some said rather bitterly but the idea of being pampered or a princess left a sour taste in Hisana's mouth. On the while she was a very practical woman and the idea of being waited on hand and foot...

"You're rather pensive Rukia," Hisana looked up to find the taller woman looking at her with marked concern.

"I.. was just thinking..."

"About what?" She pressed lightly.

"M-my nii-sama... how has he been?"

"Stubborn and complex as usual, really why doesn't he get mad like other people? I mean sure his noble conduct doesn't allow him to cuss people out but he could at least look a little angry when we do him things that he doesn't like." Hisana laughed, she couldn't help it, even after all these years Byakuya was exactly the same way, unchanging and unresponsive.

"Unless you hurt his pride." She was certain that was how he worked.

"Yeah, unless you hurt his pride," The busty woman confirmed. Said woman Hisana was beginning to like and who ever this Rukia was, she had a good friend. "So here we are." She sighed, stooping in front of the large doors in the wall, thrown open to show the empty courtyard of the Sixth Squad. Hisana stared at the open place; the moment of truth, she was a bit scared. What if her ejected her? What if after all this time he had decided he did not love her? Then she thought of the picture, the broken man in it, the empty face, the weak hope, no he would take her and love her; protect her more fiercely than his pride and that too scared her- what if he overdid it? What if she had to run away from her own husband?

"Rukia?" Hisana looked up.

"Eh?"

"Something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong, could you come with me?"

"Well yes, of course I will! That's what friends are for." She laughed, putting her arms round the small woman, all but suffocating Hisana with her large breasts- she was ready. They stepped into the compound and wandered a little way in. The first thing striking her the fact there was not a soul about.

"If I didn't know Kuchiki Taicho better Id say he gave everyone a day of," The busty woman sighed, looking around at the empty grounds where their footsteps echoed. The summer's wind came warm and low, touching them gently in is syrupy heat, the silence resettled and there was the sharpness of meal on metal. "Oh, someone's fighting." the sound of metal sounded again, rapidly and sharply, shattering the silence and there were few gasps and sudden cheers. The busty woman turned to the direction of the sounds, taking Hisana to another large door that opened into a Japanese styled room, opening at the back to show a wall of black clad bodies where the noise was loudest.

"What's going on here?" the blonde asked, touching one man on the shoulder.

"Rangiku-san!" He gasped, eyes darting quickly to the full bust and then the face, "Kuchiki Taicho and Abarai fukutaicho are sparring."

"Really? I guess we'd have to wait huh?" Rangiku sighed, turning back to Hisana.

"Yes, I suppose we would.

"Lady Rukia!" The man stuttered form behind Rangiku, "you look stunning today!" Hisana smiled daintily, pressing her sleeves to her lips.

"I suppose I do don't I?" She wondered, slipping between the bodies of men. They moved aside at her light touch, closing in awe behind her as she made her way to the front. For all her peasant smiles at the people she moved aside, deep down inside, she was utterly terrified of his reaction and wondered what it would be.

The front of the crowd came too soon for her and beyond the stone wall that separated the crowd from the fighting space, she saw him move gracefully out of the wild brandish of a red head with a mass of tattoos cross his forehead. Arm and sleeve hardly distinguishable, her husband ran his zanpactu over the blade still thrust forward and slashed quickly at the surprise face. The red head narrowly missed the attack, a slice n the cheek evidence for his trouble and he spun around in time to bock the attack of the zanpactu coming down on him. The blades crashed, sparks flew and some bastard stepped on her still bare feet.

"Sorry Lady Rukia," The man apologized quickly, and quailed under her angry glower before she returned her attention to the fight. Someone had done something and now the red head was beading from the abdomen and her husbands was coming at them at a slow pace, robes billowing around him, hair whipping around his face, eyes closed.

"Howl Zabimaru!" The zanpactu glowed and then someone pushed her forward, pressing her against the stone wally, knocking the air out of her.

"Hey, don't push!" Came someone form the back. Hisana looked up, her husband was now blocking a detached zanpactu with a bar ed edges on one side. Huffing crossly, she climbed up on the stone wall and throwing her feet over the side, looked on intently holding on tightly to the stone beneath her. Her husband jumped back an held the zanpactu to his face and it fell apart into cherry blossoms. Hisana flushed and her eyes watered, she covered her her nose.

"Rukia?" Rangiku was by her side, "something wrong?" Hisana rubbed fiercely at her cheeks to get the blush off.

"Something- something got in my eye." She answered quickly, looking down at her feet. Sh had died as the first cherry blossom fell; she could still remember his words, vague echoes- Rukia was her sister and he was supposed to take car of her. The guilt came back, the regret and the want to see her.

"Matsumoto what are you doing here?"

"Toshiro!" Rangiku gasped and Hisana looked back to see a small boy with white hair glaring angrily a the tall woman.

"You had me doing all the paperwork Matsumoto while you ran about looking for drinking partners." he scolded crossly an she only smiled and Hisana could understand why, the boy was so cute angry. Whose cruel joke was it to put him in charge of a whole squad? Hisana smiled at the quarreling pair and looked back at the fight, at her husband who was currently standing in the midst of a flurry of cherry blossoms that easily deflected Abarai fukutaicho's every attack.

She looked on intently at the man, calm and unmoving he wasn't lazy but all his attention was not on the red head, she could tell he wasn't using much effort but the red head was trying, so hard to break him. Someone pushed from behind and the fabric of her clothes slipped out from under her and Hisana fell forward with a scream, hands flailing and an arm was around her waist, pulling her back.

"Careful Rukia," The little boy was helping her down. Her heart was beating fast, she looked back. Her husband was looking at her, his eyes wide and gray, she turned around and ran away.

**AN- Sorry for taking so long but I had an SBA to do, the ventriloquists doll's head is complete!!! I was so much fun to do!!! I know, I have been advised against putting personal things at the end of my story, but I feel so proud!!! I did it all by myself and it is a complete drawing!!! Relative to the story, do stick around to find out more!**


	4. Chapter 4

Tears half blinded her and her chest burned- the picture had filtered his pain but seeing him in the flesh, so close, those eyes, so full of wont and so lost, her tears came unbidden. Her feet stopped and she took deep gasps of air. She wasn't ready to look at him, not with those eyes. She leaned against a wall and slipped down she closed her eyes against the gray wall opposite her, she wasn't ready to see those eyes up close, she wasn't ready to take responsibility that came with those eyes. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, seeing immediately the skinny yellow flower growing at the bottom of the wall- she could though stand seeing her own face it wouldn't be the same eyes, but it would be the same face; different eyes but not hard to look into. Sighing, Hisana got up and headed to the place she knew.

Byakuya had seen her, very clearly in yellow against all that black and when she had climbed up on the wall he had seen that too- in fact the moment she had made it to the from the was aware of her presence, but he had chose not too look. He did find it irritating that he was fighting his fukutaicho and his sister's presence distracting- a woman with whom he had spent the past fifty three years but at this moment he could not pay attention to his raging fukutaicho, he wanted to look at her, stare at the bright yellow at the corner of his eyes, find out what was distracting him so.

He saw her slip forward and saw her be pulled back but beneath the rage of his fukutaicho's reiatsu, he felt Hisana, distant and smothered, a flicker in the wind, a thought amongst dreams there was a whiff of the departed. Choice-less he looked back and saw those eyes, that face he had seen so often on his sister perfect beauty that ripped him to shreds. They stared at each other, memory and reality blending, distracting him and then she was gone, swallowed by the wall of uniforms but he could not stop staring because unlike all the other times, for the first time in fifty three years, he had lost his breath and his mind was frazzled.

Of course all of this happened in seconds and the battle in front of him was in every definition still going on. Renji came at his Taicho, from the air, the man had looked away but he knew his Taicho better, even if he was looking away, his senses was trained on him. The red head wield the zanpactu and it came down. Hitsugaya looked up from his hand he was flexing and at the sound of shocked gasps to see Kuchiki Taicho being diced by his fukutaicho. The red head pulled his zanpactu out, leaving a wound that cut bone and jumped back, looking at his Taicho in confusion. The air was tense with shock and the people in the crowd waited, breath abated.

"Tai-cho?" Renji was confused, his Taicho's blood was on his zanpactu, he had injured the man badly with a single swipe, a gash in his uniform, he could see bone and the blood dripping from fingertips and then he was gone and before Renji could even consider reacting, he was falling in a wave of pain, his blood exploding before his eyes and the permanent red stain of his hair dropping about his shoulders. Renji lay still, his body not as hurt as his mind- he had just injured his Taicho and not in the way he would have liked. There was no hard work involved, he just came at him and did not gauge the man properly, that was all.

"Do not under any circumstance Abarai let your guard down." Byakuya's voice came like deep grating steel over the cough of his footsteps as he came into view. He paused, two drops of blood falling on the dusty floor and Renji's blood rushed to meet them and then the noble turned away, heading back to the corridor of subordinates. Hitsugaya was startled, his fukutaicho giving out a gasp and was now talking like an excited girl to the equally shocked men around her, staring in disbelief at their injured Taicho and at the stoic man coming to them. Hitsugaya slipped between the men to the front as Kuchiki Taicho came, taking his scarf from the shocked third seat who held it.

"We should get you to Unohanna," Hitsugaya said, folding the silk and holding it to his chest. Byakuya looked at him, expressionless as ever but Hitsugaya could see a change in his eyes.

"Yes," He answered gratingly, for the first time looking down at his wound, he could not feel a thing, the tendons had been completely severed. He had never been injured this badly by his subordinate before but seeing her shocked him.

"Matsumoto you may come with us.' Hitsugaya said, turning around and making his was down the path of separated subordinates, tagging after Byakuya. Matsumoto had to bite her lips shut and for once she was mad at the boy of her Taicho, didn't he know how important it was that she ran off to the sake house and tell everyone of what happened? This was gossip of the century!

"Hitsugaya Taicho, when was Rukia due to return?"

"Tonight I believe."

"Did anyone notify you of otherwise?"

"No." Byakuya was silent, his steps steady, it was as though his blood was not cooling and he was in immense pain., but his mind was on the bare foot girl sitting on the wall, it was so Hisana to do that.

"Her behavior had changed," Matsumoto said softly, "she said it was part of her becoming more easygoing." Byakuya pouted slightly, his only expression to her words, even the excuse was clever like Hisana.

"I could check with her Squad for you," Hitsugaya offered, Byakuya shifted his head slightly, started out of his own thoughts.

"No need," He answered," I will see her tonight at dinner." Surely by that time those eyes, that face would have changed. The entered the medical squad with his wounds and everyone was set up in a fuss for medicines and balms and their Taicho. She came later with a look of disapproval, her features jumping to shock as she saw the shirtless noble being tended to and the report of the injuries sustained.

"Abarai fukutaicho's injuries were mild for this kind of attack," She finally said, putting down the report stating the need for bone, muscle and tissue reconstruction.

"Please flex your hand," the female attendant asked softly.

"It was a cause of my own distraction," Was his only answer, she looked him over, as closed a a book.

"Then can you desist from being distracted?" She asked softly, looking over the perfect job of one of her subordinates.

"I shall desist."

"Hitsugaya Taicho," Matsumoto came haltingly.

"What is it Rangiku? Hitsugaya was back in his office studying his hands.

"I am concerned about Rukia," She sighed, dropping down on the couch of the office. Hitsugaya nodded distractedly. "I mean I like the new her but the change is so sudden." She continued.

"Are you threatened?" Hitsugaya answered absently.

"What? No! Of course not!" Matsumoto laughed, "I cannot be replaced by some girl changed overnight." She flicked her hair.

"Because she might have some on you." Hitsugaya said, giving up looking at his hands and getting to a report.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She scoffed with a pout at the pile of papers on the center table.

"Her bust is larger than it used to be," He said, glancing at his hand again. The truth was everything about her was larger, fuller, softer. Her body was as though she had not spent the last fifty three years training to be a Shinigami.

"Her bust?" Matsumoto sighed at her Taicho's inexperience, "I do admit she does have a bit of a glow and in those clothes she just stands out- wait Toshiro!" She gasped, getting out of the couch quickly, her bust jumping , "you don't think..." She gasped and Hitsugaya looked up at her sudden silence. "You don't think she," She covered her mouth in excitement.

"Now Matsumoto don't draw assumptions." Hitsugaya warned.

"So how do you explained the glow and the sudden change of attitude? Her clothes are different and even her dress!" Matsumoto squealed again, "I wonder which one though, Renji or Ichigo."

"I hardly doubt she would defile herself with either." Hitsugaya shuffled more papers, Matsumoto sighed with impatience at her Taicho's ignorance.

"When a woman changes herself only two things could have happened either death or-"

"You should observe more before drawing assumptions," Hitsugaya retorted getting up and picking up another pile of papers. Matsumoto pouted in consideration.

"I guess you're right," She sighed getting up.

"Good now help me with this paperwork," Hitsugaya looked up and around, she was gone, "MATSUMOTO!"

Getting home was not based on memory- in fact it never was for the tree years she spent with her husband the method of getting home was quite easy, walk straight to the highest point of the the Sereitei until everything looked familiar. Needless to say it worked exactly the same as it seemed Sereitei hadn't changed for as long as she had been gone. The trees that lined the path were the same in number but had grown in fifty three years- gnarled and bent but in all the same. She wandered up one path and down another, her memories of the strolls and conversations rapidly coming back so that her head hurt. She wandered past the gates and through the opened doors of the front room of the first building. Change had happened there, someone had changed floor boards and a new vase stood in the corner, the adjacent garden had flowers whose names she didn't know and she was glad, her husband was at least living.

"Lady Rukia!" Hisana smiled at the aged adviser who squinted at her- well at least not everything had changed.

"Good day," She smiled, folding her hands in her kimono.

"Byakuya- sama is not home yet."

"I know," Still she couldn't believe he didn't recognize her.

"it is nice to see you in something beside your uniform Lady Rukia would you stay in it until Lord Byakuya returns?"

"He has already seen me," She answered, wandering out of the room, he followed.

"I suppose you would like to go to your room?"

"After," She answered, heading down a path she knew so well. The adviser frowned at her footsteps, the first of his suspicion arising as she took a sure footed way to the deceased Lady Hisana's room. The room was almost as she had left it, futon covered in light colored sheets, her table with the same kind of flowers in its small vase. Someone had taken the liberty of putting her papers in order. She flicked though the old books and studied the paintings with lazy eyes.

"Lady Rukia!" The adviser gasped," what are you doing in here!" She had given him the slip somewhere along the corridors and made it to the room but now he had found her.

"Looking," She answered, returning her attention to the sleeping face she had drawn, the stretch of chest and the shoulders nestled in silk, she could feel his eyes on her and she resisted the urge to smile and trace the mouth of the man she knew.

"Lady Rukia, I must insist that you leave this place at once!" Hisana felt irritation at the old fool who was disturbing her reminisce. She scowled at him.

"All right, don't get your panties in a bunch," She snapped, throwing the book back on the table where she knew she had left it fifty three years ago and folding her arms, stormed out. In a way she was flattered by the old man wanting to protect her memory so- she always thought the man was against Byakuya being with her from the start but the way he muttered curses about careless women and how he tenderly put the book back, it was apparent that wasn't the case. Then again a servant's happiness was based on the master's and from what she could see, Byakuya -sama was far from happy.

"Lady Rukia," It was a new face, timid and halfheartedly exerting, "I have been ordered to escort you to your room." She sighed and shook her head, and here she was going to visit her old garden.

"Lead on." Once again, she was in a post of convenience, having a servant feeling happy they were doing their job while she ignorant for the past was learning of it. As she was lead though, she began to feel a sense of apprehension. She was being lead away to the room furthest from Byakuya-sama's quarters which was odd considering Rukia would have been the only other person sharing this wing with him and she, Hisana herself had only ever had two personal rooms leaving some sixteen rooms for Rukia to choose from, yet the girl stayed in the one furthest from her nii-sama.

"Would you like a bath Lady Rukia?" She shook her head and shut the door behind her. This left her wondering- what kind of relationship did Rukia have with her nii-sama? Was there any at all? Knowing how stubborn her Byakuya was, she only just realized that just because she made him promise on her death bed to adopt her sister when he found her didn't mean he would love her and they would be going on picnics and talking about her boyfriend problems or anything.

In fact the just realized Byakuya-sama probably knew nothing of his sister and apart from making sure she was alive, did nothing to influence her life on a whole. Hisana frowned and looked around he large room, everything was so neat and it was not servant done but rather, as messy as she was, her sister was neat and that got Hisana wondering if everything about them was opposite.

"And I told you not to come but do you ever listen to me?" Rukia scolded, knocking the orange head boy beside her over the head.

"Hey I just thought I'd visit the Sereitei a little, you know, shake things up perhaps get in a fight or two with Eleventh and pound the shit out of Renji, maybe send up Byakuya's pressure-"

"You will not harass nii-sama in anyway." Rukia warned angrily, stepping into the Sereitei.

"Aw come on, from what you have been not telling me I can say Byakuya is back to his boring old ways of being a noble-"

"And what is wrong with leading a peaceful life? You should try that yourself Ichigo."

"I think how ever many centuries were enough of a peaceful life for him, besides, between beating Renji and the eleventh, I would only just be able to squeeze him in on my busy schedule."

"So long as you don't go out of your way."

"Rukia, changed so soon?" Said girl looked back to see Matsumoto coming up from behind.

"Matsumoto, it is good to see you."

"Why did you run off?"

"Oh Matsumoto, I am sorry for not telling you but I had my orders."

"Orders?"

"Yes and now Ichigo has decided he would like to come back with me-"

"Do you know where Renji is? I have a fight with him." Ichigo retorted. Matsumoto looked over the pair, Rukia had changed in the hours she had seen the girl. She looked paler and thin, more stern and worn, there was no light to her like before and her chest was quite flat.

"In the Infirmary-"

"What happened!" Rukia gasped.

"He was sparring with Kuchiki Taicho and he injured him and then they went to the Infirmary-"

"Wait, who injured who?" Matsumoto frowned at Ichigo, really even though she had started a bit late, the whole Sereitei by now knew the story.

"Renji injured Kuchiki Taicho."

"Nii-sama!" Rukia rushed into the ward she had been directed to. Byakuya looked up as the small girl halted at the edge of the bed beside which he stood, adjusting his uniform. Her face was full of concern but changed, weary and tired were the only things on them, she was back in her uniform and her zanpactu by her side- she looked like the woman he had been living with for the past fifty three years. The one who adored him and feared him and thanked him for his favor to her, for making her his sister.

"What is is Rukia?" The small woman did not miss the quick scan of her brother's eyes before his answer and the lack of formality in his voice, as though he had already known she was there and had gotten over the nostalgia of her absence.

"Nii-sama, Matsumoto just told me you were injured." This was not the woman sitting on the wall, not the creature in the yellow kimono and blue obi, not the one with the wide eyes that stopped his heart, not the reason he was injured.

"Is Renji getting that good?" He looked up to see the orange haired nightmare of a boy walk in with a grin on his face.

"It wasn't like that." The pair started and looked around to see Renji sitting on a chair whittling slowly.. "I only injured Kuchiki Taicho because he was distracted."

"Distracted?" Ichigo frowned, he had never know Byakuya to be distracted. Arrogant and hard headed yes but never distracted. "What the hell was so distracting?" Byakuya paused.

"Ichigo, nii-sama's business is none of our business." Rukia scolded.

"It's quite all right Rukia," The noble answered, putting on his new Taicho's robes, "I was distracted because I thought I saw your sister."

**AN- a bit of a long chap... it wud have cum sooner but I got a cold... wahh!!! fever!!! u know, I don't get it but why when people write half a page of AN they get more reviews??? does anyone else notice that? I'd try it but that's just not my style... any who, if you wanna find out more, stick around!**


	5. Chapter 5

"You mean Hisana?" Ichigo wondered incredulously.

"Nii-sama, are you sure?" Byakuya paused his dressing and looked up at his sister who bit her lips under his quiet gaze and looked sideways and at the floor. She couldn't help the question- how long had it been? Fifty three years? So many years this man has spent after this woman, it couldn't jut come to an end with a single moment that almost proved fatal.

"No, I am not." The three in the room stared at the noble who had returned his attention to dressing. They could all see the slight strain in his features, there was something unbidden and painful searching for a break in his mask to emerge- something dark and uncharacteristic. "I don't know if what I saw was real. I merely suggested it in case there is something amiss."

"Amiss Taicho?" Renji came.

"A hollow perhaps," Byakuya answered.

"One that plays on memories?" Ichigo added, he was considering it. Rukia said nothing, looking intently at her brother, his features- twitching and changing showed very clearly something else- he did not believe his own lie.

"One that copies reiatsu?" Renji pointed out. Rukia looked over at her friend, he had been looking at his Taicho as intently as she had been.

"Reiatsu?" Renji looked from his Taicho to the questioning strawberry.

"Yeah, while we were sparring, I sensed some reiatsu that I didn't recognize-"

"Well if you didn't recognize it then maybe it might be hollow." Rukia pointed out. Renji looked up at the tone of his friend, Ichigo missed it, but Renji looked, from the small woman to where she was looking, at her brother, fumbling with his clothes, his features almost wrecked- there was complete strain. To anyone else he looked like the Noble but the pair- they knew him- there was something deeply amiss.

"Well I couldn't tell exactly what it was," Renji answered.

"How the hell couldn't you tell?" Ichigo demanded.

"I just sensed it I just don't know what it is! Like smelling things, not every smell you can place!" Renji snapped.

"Jeeze, you're useless." Ichigo sighed.

"I'm useless? You can't even SENSE!" Renji snapped.

"And from the sounds of things that's probably the best thing," Ichigo smirked, "fukutaicho can't tell the difference- where are you going Byakuya?" The noble did not stop his calm pace past the strawberry.

"Home," He relented, pausing at the table at the door to collect his scarf. Ichigo stared, realizing that this was the first time he had actually seen the man put on his scarf.

"Well if there's a hollow around powerful to hurt Byakuya I should-"

"Go home." Byakuya interrupted, "It's way past your bedtime boy." The three some stared at the noble as he opened the door softly and slipped out of the room, the door closing behind him soundlessly.

"What us up with the venom?" Ichigo wondered.

"Well nii-sama is right-" Rukia sighed.

"What? You're siding with him?" Rukia scowled at the orange head.

"No idiot, look outside, it's DARK!" Renji snapped. Sure enough, the world beyond the window was black with glimmers of yellow light in every window and the street below was coming to life with light.

"You don't have to go home now," Rukia retorted Ichigo's annoyed response, "I don't think we should wake up Ukitake Taicho just to open up a gate for one person."

"I think they have a trip tomorrow to the real world, you can go then." Renji added. Ichigo considered and sighed. His father might beat the crap out of him for disrespecting the home but there was no compromise.

"You got any place to sleep in mind?" Renji asked slowly.

"You can sleep in my quarters." Rukia was quick to say. Ichigo arched his brow at her.

"Umm Rukia I don't think that's such a good idea," Ichigo answered slowly.

"Why?"

"Well see I know you but I don't like you like that." Ichigo blushed, scratching his head.

"Ichigo you IDIOT!" Renji yelled, hitting Ichigo hard over the head. Rukia laughed.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

"SHE WAS BEING CHARITABLE YOU ASS!" Renji bawled. Ichigo rubbed his head sheepishly.

"What?"

"I'm staying home to have dinner with nii-sama tonight. It's a special dinner so I won't be home so you can sleep in my room until tomorrow." Rukia answered with a deep sigh.

"Oh well..."

"Pervert." Renji muttered.

"ME A PERVERT?"

"Yeah, she offers for you to stay by her and that's the first thing that comes to mind. You're probably interested in other things if you're gonna have that kind of reaction too." Renji smirked.

"What the hell are you trying to suggest you dumb baboon?" Ichigo growled.

"Well I'm going to bed now," Rukia sighed, walking between the pair who were trying hard to tower over each other. "I'll see you two in the morning." She sighed, slipping out of the room. She walked down the corridor and paused at the open window showing the blackness of the invading night sky, dominating the violent colors of the dying day.

"Nii-sama." She muttered. What ever had happened had so changed him which left her with a few considerations. His reaction to the idea of seeing her sister- his wife. Senbonzakura, the compression of his soul seemed unaffected by any ideas of love or lost romance. He seemed to have no moments of sadness- in fact Senbonzakura was a compression of everything bad about Byakuya but that left the single fact- if the hurt did not exist within Senbonzakura did that mean even after fifty four years, the hurt of loosing his wife he had never suppressed into his soul.

"Byakuya-dono." The servant bowed to the man who entered drifted past him soundlessly, "your sister is ho-"

"Sake." Byakuya retorted, opening the door of this private room and shutting out the stunned servant. He knew what the man was going to say- his sister was home but there was no way she would reach home sooner than he under any circumstance. That left the fact that the owner of that scent was in his house, in her room meant he would have to look- to find what ever it was and what he feared was what he wold find because that smell was that of- Byakuya shook his head slightly and stood suddenly. He wasn't going to admit it, even in his mind. He opened the door to his garden and settled on the out door section of his room. He stared out at the shadow dressed hedges and the shivering of the water in moonlight- he wasn't going to think about it.

"Byakuya-dono." The noble's eyes widened too slight to notice and kept his focus on the water in the small pond.

"I did not call you." He answered.

"Byakuya-dono, are you all right?"

"Why would you ask." Senbonzakura sighed and pulled at his wet robes.

"Its raining." He answered. Byakuya looked down at his hands folded neatly in his lap and then up at his zanpactu. He wasn't wearing the mask, he could see the almost luminescent skin and well placed features, the eyes dark in the silvery light. He reached up with a gloved hand and pushed at the black bangs. Across the fair face was a raised blackness that ran from forehead to over the eye and nose, fading to smooth skin on the opposite cheek. He traced the hard ridge of the scar- the ruined perfection that he must keep hidden. Byakuya placed his fingers back into his lap.

"Do what ever you must," Byakuya answered. Senbonzakura remained at his side, " leave me." The zanpactu stared at the noble for a long moment and then disappeared in a flurry of cherry blossoms. Byakuya remained staring at the pond, the sliver touched world of his garden, the screeching silence of the insects of this out door world.

"Byakuya-dono," The noble did not move as the his personal adviser settle a little space away from him, the tray and cups between them, "you shouldn't drink before dinner, it would ruin your appetite." The noble did not answer, instead continued staring a the scene of the garden and the deep shadows of the rooms opposite. The servant stared at the noble for a while longer and with a soundless sigh picked up the cup and served his Lord. Byakuya took the cup to his lips, raising it at proper height, finished the cup in one go and placed the empty thing down. The servant moved to refill the cup and paused, on the sides of the white cup was blood.

"Byakuya-dono," His servant panicked, "you're bleeding!" Byakuya looked down at his fingers, the tips where he had traced the scar was dressed in blood. He closed his fingers and stared out at the garden- Hisana was dead and she was not going to come back.

**AN- Yeah well CXC around the corner- major exam that would be deciding the rest of my life... so I'm gonna have to put off the writing for a bit... or perhaps not... I'm not sure. I am so sorry to everyone for making them wait so long for the this chap. I'm gonna write more now though I'm on a story roll ^.^**


	6. Chapter 6

Her soul might come back but she would not be the same person. Byakuya ignored the full cup of sake. The bit he had drunk was had done what he needed- warm his soul he did not seek stupor that was unseemly of any noble gentleman.

He had changed too much, he wasn't even sure if he wanted her. The truth was there was a probability that he was in love with the love he had and the variation of it would be tasteless to him He loved this sick woman who needed him, who was so lively but wilted like a flower before his eyes. He loved the way she struggled to stay alive, how fragile she was. Rukia is fragile and he suspect she would be too, but there was something about Rukia he was deathly afraid she would have- bland qualities in Rukia's health he had discovered and in Hisana's weakness he had never known.

It would be ruined if she came back- the idea of his wife. That lively little creature who was so dainty and powerful but the depth of the truth was, he never knew if he loved her- if he truly loved her. They had to fight for what they had and he loved a challenge, he wanted to keep her under all costs especially since people didn't approve but he didn't know much about her qualities. Five years in the life of a noble was hardly enough to even begin to know her. If normal people could not know each other spending everyday of ten years together, five years of his hectic life-

There was another problem to that. The fact that if she loved him back, would he love her more... or less? Was it by her estrangement to him that he was attracted- in fact it was her mystery deeper than his own that he was drawn. But was this mystery from her own weakness that restrained her from revealing herself entirely to him or was it that she was simply unknown to him? And that creature, the one in the yellow kimono and the crafty lies... was that really...?

Byakuya let out a small moan of displeasure and shook his head.

"Byakuya-dono," The servant started at the slight sound of his master, "is everything all right?" Byakuya did not move his head as he moved his attention to the cataract of the sky as the moon was overshadowed by night clouds.

"You are dismissed." He answered softly. The servant, against his instincts, bowed deeply and scuttled out, taking the tray with him. His master wanted to but held his tongue against asking for the sake, he continued to stare out at the night.

Rukia sighed heavily and leaned against her door. Today was tiring as it was, dealing with that orange head bastard. He kept leaving his body everywhere every time the alarm went off and to add insult to injury her own geigei didn't have brains enough to issue a mod soul to the corpse Ichigo kept lying on the street. She really didn't want to but for a long while she had been considering telling Mayuri about that problem- of his reaction though she was afraid. Then when she comes home, her brother is disturbed beyond belief and she herself now is disturbed. What could there be that would shake her brother so? The look on his face, the little impulses of restraint- what would provoke him so?

She slid the door open behind her back and slipped in, shutting it before her and settling on her knees with a deep sigh. All she really wanted to do was sleep but her brother wanted to have dinner- the insult would be too great if she denied him. She turned around and leaned the back of her head against the closed door and stretching her feet out in front of her, opened her eyes.

There was a girl with squatting in her futon, her kimono pulled back so her white legs showed, her sleeves tied back so that her arms were clear. She turned the page of the book in the futon in front of her over but her attention did not move from Rukia who gaped back. She twisted a loli-pop in her mouth back and forth and popped it out with a satisfied smack.

"What's wrong with you? Looks like you've seen a ghost." She paused, letting her words play around in the ensuing silence and smirked at her own humor.

"Y- you're- you're..." The woman in the futon bowed her head and nodded slowly, egging the words out of the small creature on the floor, but Rukia was beyond a response by shock.

"Kuchiki Hisana," Hisana decided to finish for her and putting the red loli-pop back in her mouth, returned her attention to the book between her flat feet on the futon.

Rukia was deeply confused. This woman was here, SHE was here. The one the entire house was waiting on for the past fifty four years- the one who was supposed to bring the Kuchiki house back to life but when she entered, there was nothing different about this world to Rukia. She half expected a fanfare, the sky to be red at night, the rain to fall in the middle of the sunny day, a green sunset- ANYTHING to imply this creature had come to their world but there was nothing. No, she was just sitting there, squatting in the futon like some common... woman, eating Rukia's sweets and reading a magazine. She was so inappropriate.

"So the dear wifey dies and he goes out and adopts a look alike?" She asked casually. Rukia was about to respond as she naturally did- as she had always known ever since she found out but held her tongue at the last moment when she remembered the promise between husband and wife.

"So he knows you're here?" Rukia finally ventured after watching her flip though four pages of the magazine- she was READING Vogue- she was a fast reader.

"You think?" The response was so sarcastic, Rukia stuttered slightly in response.

"Umm... does he?" Hisana looked up at the girl with a look of sheer exasperation one that made Rukia feel like a fool. The same look Byakuya gave her at times, the look that made her blush and look away.

"No." She finally answered, spreading her legs and with great ceremony refolded them zen style and flipped another page. Rukia blinked hard- was this girl really her sister? The bust extended ridiculously in that kimono and though the neck was high, the folds did nothing to suppress the size or the extension.

"So how did you find yourself here?" With the Sereitiei guarded as it was, she could not imagine her just strolling back into the Sereitiei- in fact now that she reconsidered it, Hisana was quite clean, only having the malnourished look of someone living in the Rukongai.

"Two men found me and brought me back." She answered, pausing to read a page.

"Taicho?"

"Mhm." She was so distracted, it was as though this was not happening, as though after fifty four years she was not here, back at his side- so close yet so in appropriately far away.

"If you don't mind me asking," Rukia blushed, suddenly realizing her place in the house. This woman had a right to be as she was, she is second to the master. Her lack of concern was quite appropriate and as the sister of Byakuya and of no 'relation' to Hisana, she had no choice but to level in respect.

"What?" Rukia considered the question in her mind before speaking, hoping that she did not seem rude.

"Why doesn't nii-sama know?" Hisana looked up at the girl who looked just like her in almost every aspect and smiled slightly. She didn't know what to expect, sure they were sisters, but for them to resemble this much was the last thing on her mind. Except for the neatness, they were almost alike and the flatness of the chest Hisana wondered if she was banned as she was a soldier of this place or she was really born flat.

"Why are you so neat?" Hisana asked suddenly. Rukia saw as Hisana looked at her as though seeing her for the first time and then this question. She felt vaguely insulted that Hisana would not answer her question and wondered if she should ask again.

"I'm always neat."

"You know that's what servants are for right?" Hisana challenged.

"I-I know but-"

"So you should leave their job to them," Hisana suggested, stretching out and lying back on the futon, putting the book on her chest. Rukia blinked hard. Her mind was in serious disarray- SHE WAS HERE was all Rukia could think about and the first few minutes in her sister's presence and everything she had ever thought her sister to be was betrayed.

Hisana she had thought would be more... traditional? Kimono yes but in more conservative colors- pastel pinks and purples not bright yellow and deep blue. She thought she would be sitting at a table with a cup of tea and her audience would be the grace and charm of a geisha but this woman on her bed was none of that. She was bold and for all her size strong. There was something fearless about her that made her seem powerful- perhaps even she had no fear of dying- is this what Byakuya loved? Is this the woman whom he pined after? Or had something changed about Hisana over what ever time she had spent in the Rukongai?

"Does this mean you're going to be staying in my room?" She was just meeting her sister and was already beginning to not like her- every response was so sarcastic and cold. Rukia had always thought that where the rest of the world had betrayed her in understanding, her sister would fill that void with her own sentiment but her sister it would seem-

"If you don't mind." Her tone was so soft it took Rukia by surprise and she had to looked up at her sister who was looking back at her innocently.

"No, not at all I don't mind." She laughed.

"Thank you." She grinned and went back to her book. Rukia blinked hard- what kind of girl was she?

"Lady Rukia?" The door opened a inch and Rukia with a scream, slammed the door shut. "Lady Rukia?"

"How dare you?" Hisana demanded. Rukia stared at her sister sitting quite calmly on the bed but there was anger in her voice. "You come into my room without knocking?"

"But Lady Rukia you said-"

"Never mind what I said, as a proper servant you KNOCK before you enter my room. Do you understand?" She demanded.

"Yes mam." Was the answer in a small voice.

"Now what was it you wanted to tell me?"

"You have to take your bath for your party with Lord Byakuya, Lady Rukia." Hisana had returned to her book and was not in the least interested in the girl on the other side of the door.

"Thank you." Rukia answered herself, "I will be there in a moment." There was the sound of feet moving away.

"One thing you must know," Hisana said suddenly, putting down her book, "the reason for servant rules is for Ladies to have their privacy within their rooms."

"But I don't need privacy!"

"Well it was developed by Ladies who cheat on their husbands," she shrugged, "very useful for these situations."

"You didn't have to be so harsh," Rukia reasoned, "you could have just hidden." Hisana stiffened.

"I am a Lady of the Kuchiki Household." She answered by way of answer. Hiding is beneath her- was understood. Rukia frowned a little, it would seem the rightful Lady of the Kuchiki house has a superiority complex very similar to the master's. "For as long as I am in hiding If you don't mind but we must uphold the proper rules of this house." Rukia nodded. "Thank you for understanding." She said from somewhere in her book. There it was again, as fast as she had been enraged, she was gentle and with the same breath made Rukia feel safe.

"You do know what you are doing?" Rukia wondered from her spot at the door. Hisana looked up at her sister and nodded.

"Of course."

:P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P

In retrospect, sitting beside her brother who was drinking sake poured by the white hands of a geisha, her acceptance of this creature claiming herself to be Hisana was much too easy. Now that she considered it, there were many questions she would have liked to asked but wasn't even sure the girl would even know the answer. She couldn't but think her sister was younger than she- after all Rukia did have more years on her soul but in all effects, Hisana was still and would always be the older one.

"Hisana..." Rukia perked at the name and her attention fixed on the speaker, an old woman who hated the relationship between Byakuya and the peasant girl with all her might.

"What did you say about my sister?" Rukia asked, her voice cutting through the din of conversation so that they all looked at her.

"I was saying you brother should move on." She answered simply. Rukia blinked hard at the old woman with her sagging face, they all waited for her reaction. Rukia laughed, a small sound but definite.

"And with whom do you suggest my brother move to?" The old woman pulled her flabby face in a small smile. Byakuya she could feel, was resisting not to look at either of them, more interested in his charming entourage rather than the women fighting over his relationship status.

"Well," She realized it to be an opening made by the second to the Kuchiki head himself, that was an opportunity not to pass, "I do have a lady in mind, quite a few in fact." She answered with a generous smile- if this worked out well; she had already started the calculations on how to make maximum profit.

"Beautiful, kind and understanding I take it?" Rukia encouraged.

"Yes and very patient." Everyone save her brother who was taking tea from a geisha who was trying hard not to stare at the girl in a virgin snow white kimono.

"Forget it." The noble girl shook her head. Byakuya looked up at her and everyone stared harder.

"You are a very selfish girl," She old woman scolded suddenly, "it all makes sense now, you have kept your brother a bachelor."

"be careful with your accusations." Byakuya said so suddenly the geisha rattled the china pot against the table in surprise.

"It's quite all right nii-sama." Rukia answered, drawing strength from the memory of the woman stooping in her futon eating her candy.

"Of course you don't want Byakuya -dono's help because you are ready to admit your guilt-"

"The only thing that may have kept my nii-sama from remarrying is my face." Rukia answered, Byakuya closed his eyes. Time itself had stopped, the geisha was given the right to stare and the world within the room waited with bated breath for this girl to continue. "The only reason why all of you have failed to match my nii-sama with any one of those girls is because none of them would ever be like my sister."

"She was in every respect like any other noble woman, save her blood." Byakuya stiffened next to her slightly.

"You never knew her in private."

"Like you did." The old woman countered.

"I have spoken to the servants." A few scoffed in disgust. "For one thing she was never an excessive bigot like any of you." There was a discreet smile- one of few- from Byakuya as around them the other nobles gasped.

"Excuse me-"

"I cannot be mistaken can I?" Rukia demanded. "She was never like any of you-"

"She was reckless and cruel with her tongue," Byakuya spoke again startling the party, "I never thought you had any of those traits Rukia." She stared at her brother in shock, Byakuya looked back- there was something in his eyes; could he know?

"enough of this," He finally spoke dismissively as the last of his voice dissipated the rot of Rukia's accusations, "shall we have dinner?"

"Yes, lets." The hostess jumped at the offer and the servants who were waiting behind the doors spilled in.

**AN- yeah so exams wasn't even done an I just couldn't stay away from writing... I guess it's a part of me... I'm sorry though but I am suffering for love from my own... just so that you know... in case this story takes a morbid turn... writing about love and romance and tenderness just moves me to tears. Now I know why some people cry during love stories... it's for what they have lost, what they have never had and what will never be.**


	7. Chapter 7

"Oh good you're home." Rukia had barely closed her door behind herself when her sister came at her, pulling and tugging the robes off her body.

"Wha-"

"We don't have time." Hisana answered bossily, undoing her kimono and letting the silk fall to the floor. "Put on your normal clothes." She said, tugging three of the eight traditional under robes off at once- this woman, it would seem, had practice in taking her clothes off quickly. Rukia shook the rude implications out of her head. For all of his attractiveness, the idea of her brother going at a woman almost less than half his size put a tremor of terror in her. Though being around Hisana, she could tell this woman was far from weak.

"Well come on, don't just stand there!" She sassed, hands akimbo (on her hips) looking expectantly at Rukia. She had already drank more sake than she should have and the past few days of fighting hollow had taking much out of her and now her sister was home and she was having second thoughts as to who this was... She needed to sleep so badly and reconsider the entire situation with a clear head. One thing was for sure though, despite the fact that Hisana had sneaked back into the Kuchiki household all but unnoticed, there was nothing peaceful about her existence and she was whipping up a storm with her every step.

"Why do you look like me?" Rukia asked suddenly, noting the woman was wearing her uniform and had tried- and failed- to pull her black hair straight and neat, also the uniform would not hold her unruly breasts which peeped out as they strained against the folds of the small uniform.

"I'll tell you later," Hisana waved at Rukia, "just hurry, we don't have much time."

"Tea." Byakuya spoke, closing the door behind him. He stood for a moment in the softly yellow lit room, considering the party today. It was no surprise to him that the Noble Order was trying to get him married, but Rukia's reaction was quite unprecedented. It was so much... too Hisana of her. He took a few steps and stopped suddenly as a horrible idea occurred to him- what if that was- no she was NOT here. But still if it were... and he was in no way attracted to her...? Byakuya annihilated the horrid thought with a tightening of his jaw- if she were here, she would be sitting at that table waiting for him, looking as beautiful as the first day and last time he had seen her- eternally fresh beauty but now he expected no sickly pallor to her complexion.

He settled at his low table and opened the book he had been reading yesterday- yet that girl in the yellow kimono...

"What is that?" he demanded of the servant that had walked in just then. The servant fell to the floor opposite him and with shaking hands, poured tea with a steady rattle.

"L-L-Lady R-Rukia baked those." Byakuya looked, stern faced at the brownies right above his book, kept warm by a basic housewife's heating kido. "D-do you want me to take them away?"

"No need." Byakuya answered serenely. The servant bowed and left and the noble returned his attention to the plate of brownies. Rukia did not know how to cook those kind of brownies and she wouldn't even dream of giving her brother something sweet when he hated sugar so much. Those brownies he knew were made of dark chocolate, carefully melted by small hands and lovingly poured into a bowl with small amounts of sugar in it- the only sweet thing he would ever eat because the sugar make the dark chocolate less bitter.

The temptation though was great and the smell filled the room, he was urged by his pulse and every fiber of his being, even Senbonzakura was getting uncomfortable for all the internal turmoil this glass plate with its flowery designs and its neat squares of dark brownies looking so soft and moist in the lamp light and so close to his hands.

He reached to turn the page, the top of the page as he always did and his hand paused. The smell of chocolate, warm and moist overpowered him. The kind of velvety warmth he knew those brownies would have. Byakuya stopped, somewhere between thinking about it and now, he had actually put the brownie in his mouth- the taste was as perfect as the last one he had fifty two years ago... there was no doubt about it, Hisana was home.

"Where are we going?" Rukia whispered, as she tripped over Hisana as she stopped suddenly, peeping around a wall to ensure no one was coming. It was the dead of night but Hisana refused to bring a lamp so it was all guess work for Rukia but somehow Hisana seemed to have an amazing sense of direction.

"Hush." She hissed and scuttled away from Rukia, grip on her wrist to keep her close, rushed off to the next door, Rukia tripping as she kept up with the surprisingly slightly shorter woman.

"Wait!" Rukia protested as Hisana came at a large red door.

"What?" Hisana hissed back.

"That's squad Twelve."

"AND?"

"And..." Rukia could hardly imagine the look on Mayuri's face when she and her doppelganger sister showed up in the middle of the night. Hisana laughed.

"Don't worry about Mayuri darling, he almost never sleeps." She pushed the door open with a small grunt and it groaned open. "Especially not at night." Rukia swallowed hard and followed her sister and was beginning to wonder again, was this really the famed Lady Hisana? The moonlight had caught her fair face and touched her eyes and in them Rukia could see something lyrically insane.

"Mayuri darling." Hisana sang, emerging from the dark corridor. Rukia was surprised to see the mad scientist visibly start but also turn slowly and stare at the creature in front of him. His expression twitched a few times and Rukia could not help but note something akin to fear flash on his face and the girl wondered what kind of sister she had.

"Hisana." He drawled softly, turning away from his experiment.

"Well I don't see you in fifty four years and you're just going to call my name?" She scolded. "Don't tell me time had made you strange." Mayuri laughed, uneasily.

"Not at all," He leaned down and hugged her, "not at all."

"Oh I made you something." She said quickly, untangling herself from his long white robes and with a wide smile, took the basket off her arm and hold it out to him. There was just then a strong whiff of hot chocolate and Rukia's stomach churned in hunger.

"Are those...?"

"I made some for my husband see," She answered breezily, "But I made a little too much- how are you Nemu?"

"Fine thank you." Came the automated response.

"Nemu go make us some tea." Mayuri ordered the android (I don't know what else to call her.)

"No need," Hisana objected, "I just need a favor from you." Mayuri's attention was solely on the basket with the chocolate smell.

"You haven't been back for very long and already you need me?" Mayuri drawled, putting down his writing pad. Hisana made herself comfortable on one of his sturdy utensil trolleys and laughed. "I take it your husband doesn't know you are back?"

"What ever gave you that idea?" There was a tone of scandal in her voice. Rukia however was just trying to get over how bizarre this all was. She had never seen anyone talk to a Taicho much less Mayuri like that but something about Hisana's behavior made her think of a snake poised for attack. She was too pleasant and sweet and the way she had Mayuri staring at that basket with its cherry blossom cloth on top, Rukia could tell she had the scientist at the palm of her hand.

"There would have been celebratory party before you were allowed to leave the house." Hisana sighed.

"Yes well you are a smart man aren't you Mayuri." There was a vague insult to the question but for some reason the masked man was taking it.

"What kind of a favor? Human cloning is illegal now." The pair laughed at the joke... Rukia didn't get it.

"No," She said suddenly serious, "I want to play a game with my husband." She answered slowly, Mayuri smiled widely.

"I don't think those kind of games are my expertise, perhaps Matsumoto fukutaicho-"

"I want to appear to be Rukia." There was something so... Yachiru about her Rukia thought... something wild and childish but at the same time so mature- wait what did she just say?

"You want to be me?" Rukia questioned her sister.

"Yes-"

"Why she wants to do that I have no idea." Mayuri sighed, eying Hisana's straining assets,the Lady followed his gaze.

"Not like that!" She laughed, pulling at the front of her robes so the soft smile of her cleavage disappeared behind the black fabric. "I can handle those -no- I want my husband to detect me as Rukia." She gracefully flicked her wrist. "Umm... A reiatsu camouflage of sorts."

"Someone had to be the smart one of the pair of you." Mayuri answered, extending his hand to the small lady, Hisana laughed as she took it.

"My husband isn't that bad." She jumped down lightly and dusted at the borrowed uniform.

"Do I have stories for you." He answered, using his long black nail to push a loose lock out of her face.

"Mayuri Taicho's weakness is chocolate brownies?" Rukia was scandalized as she followed her sister back to the house, both wearing silver bracelets that shared the same quantity of both Hisana's and Rukia's reiatsu so that they were indistinguishable.

"Who doesn't like chocolate?" Hisana wondered, opening the gate covered in vines and white flowers. They stopped in the courtyard with its white marble seats in a neat circle, dressed in white. Hisana stood in the moonlight and Rukia stood in the dark, they stared at each other and burst into a fit of giggles- Rukia could hardly imagine anyone else she could laugh so easily with; this had to be without a doubt her sister.

"Rukia?" The called girl stopped laughing, Hisana did the same and they stared at each other.

"Y-yes nii-sama?" Hisana answered quickly, pushing Rukia further into the darkness, she quicly readjusted her robes. Rukia stood in the hedge, carefully skirting around the light, sneaked away.

"Why are you not in bed?" She could hear her nii-sama ask.

"I should ask you the same." Came the breezy response. There was a long silence and Rukia's heart jumped to her mouth- she would never talk to her nii-sama like that! Did he already suspect?

"Are you all right? Did you drink too much at the party?" Hisana giggled again.

"I probably did didn't I nii-sama? Though drink is used to loosen even the stiffest tongue." Rukia peeped around the flowers, Byakuya was towering over this small woman who was standing before him, arms swinging around her body in a free dance while she fidgeted with her feet- Rukia never got drunk as far as she could remember but she supposed if she were she would behave like that.

The hedge gave way a little beneath her just then and she tripped almost into the light, cracking the untrimmed parts as she went, scratching her arms and pricking her hands. Rukia gasped and bolted.

Byakuya looked up at the noise, he saw the bushes shiver.

"What's wrong nii-sama?" Hisana asked coyly. She did so love looking at his face- his phisique had changed and she was loving the broad shoulders and muscular neck. She bet there were new muscles on him she had never seen before and she knew for certain one muscle would never change; but more than that, seeing his eyes so sharp and alert, running all over her made her blush and feel shy. "Why are you out at this hour? Is your heart amiss?"

Byakuya looked back at 'Rukia' at those trademark words and his heart stopped for a moment. The eyes were on him and there was a glow to her. His pulse raced and it was hard to breathe- it was definitely his wife returned but why like this? Why did he detect her to be Rukia? What was she playing at?

"Nii-sama?" She tilted her head to one side, her eyes daring him to say it, to call her name and then he knew. The rules were this- he had to find feasible evidence she was his wife. Not too many people could know she was there and if he pointed her out, it would look bad on his part if he had no proof also he had to be able to distinguish the pair and never be confused and lastly, he had to prove his love without making it obvious- this was just a game to her; one she wanted to loose, to be wrong about, that her husband had not changed- he was the same man she loved and nothing; no amount of time would change that.

"Rukia, you do know I like night walks." He answered softly. She held his gaze a moment more and looking down, bowed slightly.

"Forgive my mistake, nii-sama." She answered through her smile.

**AN- I'm writing this out before someone comes and ruins my good mood... I really hope he dosen't do that... he always does... so I gotta write it fast before this scene becomes morbid and I dammage my plot line... newho... stick around for more! :D**


	8. Chapter 8

"Good morning." Rukia groaned slight and looked up at her own face and similar eyes gazing down at her full of lyrical laughter. "Head ache?" She questioned, offering her a cup of coffee.

"I hate this stuff." Rukia muttered, taking the cup from Hisana who had settled back on her feet to let Rukia sit up.

"If you don't mind may I have breakfast with your brother this morning?" Rukia looked up in surprise at the question- just when she was getting used to the idea that her sister was uncouth and had no care for the natural order of noble life- she appears with this sweet little request- a marked consideration to Rukia's own feelings.

"Yes you may my head hurts too much…" She shifted her weight around and HIsana's hand found the back of her head so that her cheek came to rest on the large soft breast. Rukia was stif with discomfort mometarily but she felt fingers rub at the back of her neck and the coffee was beneath her nose again. This woman, apart from her danger that was threaded in her clothes and swept behind her in the air, she was also warm and rather gentle.

"Drink it, I made it just for you." Rukia looked up at the eyes that were the same likeness as hers yet so different with its certainty and clarity, she pushed the cup into Rukia's hands. The coffee smelled of vanilla and milk. "you'll feel better when you do." She smiled encouragingly Rukia took the coffee while hisana rubbed her back.

Mother, it was all Rukia could think of as HIsana cradled her slightly, humming some nameless tune. Of all the descriptions of Hisana she had ever considered, mother was the last of them. Perhaps some elegantly gentle lady yes, someone who vaguely cared and made things easier for people, but never had she considered a woman who would hold someone else and comfort their slightest ailment. What kind of woman, Rukia wondered, did she appear to her brother?

She was quickly beginning to realize Hisana had many faces, each shared to some other poor unsuspecting being but it concerned Rukia- did Byakuya know his wife was a bit of a mother? Did that attract him, did it arouse him? Did he love her for that? Beauty in Byakuya's eyes Rukia thought would be rawness of a glacier or war aftermath- the beauty of peace, the poetry of departed; furry blankets and warm arms- did her brother like that?

"Are you feeling better?" Hisana asked, pushing her down back into the futon and pressing back her hair. Rukia stared up at her, this was too bizarre, wasn't she the one who had everyone trembling before her yesterday? Now she was mother…? "Don't eat anything for the next eight hours and drink only tea and soup, nothing heavy though," she warned- she even gave Rukia the finger; the one mothers had for children, the wagging index, "else it'll come right back up." She dusted her lap and stood, Rukia's eyes widened.

"Wait, that's my kimono!" HIsana looked down at her and smiled.

"Well you really don't expect me to my own clothes do you? Do you wear the house clothes?" Rukia shook her head.

"I didn't think so." The house clothes was a collection of fine kimono that had once been worn by the women of the Kuchiki family. Once these women passed on, their expensive elaborately custom made pieces; because of their quality was kept in a special house at the East wing. Essentially it was a catalogue of old clothes of fashions extending far back into time for the present ladies of the House to choose. Not that they ever did- what woman wore the robes of others save the unimaginative ones ie. Rukia. Since this woman never felt comfortable in the house, wearing the available catalogue never occurred to her and hence HIsana was stuck wearing muted greens and deep blues.

"Wait I think I have something you'll like in that wardrobe over there." Rukia gestured at the tall dark wardrobe on the left wall. "At the bottom in the blue case." The woman did her bidding, bringing out a heavy blue trunk which she lugged unto the wooden floor and swung it open to reveal silk red boxes. She knelt down and fished one of them out.

"Rukia this is-" She was half breathless as she pulled back the white gazue and the silk spilled unto her lap.

"Nii-sama was deeply insulted when I refused to wear them." Hisana studied them, he was just feeling her out- wanting to know the difference between Rukia and her sister- style was one of them. The fashion was muted with full sleaves and excessive brocade- so unlike the alterd kimono versions she would wear but none the less acceptable.

"But you're sure-"

"Yes I am." Rukia pulled her eyes away from her sister. It was so obvious how easily she would carry those clothes and seem a decended goddess. "I don't like them anyway."

"Good morning, nii-sama." Byakuya looked up from his report and felt his senses flee him. The maids who had just served him had stopped suddenly, stared for a moment and fell on their faces and she moved past smoothly. She had to be one of the few women he knew who could actually command genuine respect by doing little.

"Good morning Rukia." He forced himself to keep his face straight and not break into his usual wide smile- besides he wasn't sure his face could take smiling. Hisana noted- she missed the morning smiles, she missed his eyes settling around her like a warm blanket- fifty four years had changed that much about him? She took the place closest to him. Usually Rukia would take the far end, as timid as an intruder.

Never mind he had changed, she had not. Hisana took up the tea pot and holding her sleaves out of the way, poured him tea delicately. He stared at the side of her fair face, smooth slim neck, neat pout lips, the effort so slight, it took his breath and then she stole him a glance, right under those dark eyelashes, the eyes glinted with mischief and that ember lit his body aflame.

"Did you sleep well, nii-sama?" She asked casually as she returned the pot to its previous place. Up close nothing had changed about his face- it was without line or blemish, there were no lies or pain hidden in them. Instead she saw something that set her heart off a little- there was a light noble frost on his features, something he had set on himself to protect himself from behind altered too much, not just by her death but by waiting. How thick was the ice she wondered? How had would she have to fight to dig him out? Already she could see her work was cut out for her.

"Quite," He answered. Quite from, he lay in an inferno of love that warmed his blankets too hot and dressed his skin in sweat. What he had thought dead lay insistently against his thigh and his every movement begged him to rectify it. He had managed to catch an hour of uneasy slumber before the servant came to tell him to awake. All he could have thought of then and even now was her face, so pure catching the moonlight, taking his breath.

"I am happy to hear that."

"Did you sleep well Rukia?" HIsana smiled delicately, a maid stared- Rukia never smiled around her brother.

"Quite." She dished his food for him and set it before him, her smallest finger touching his knuckle. His hands were warm, she stole a glance at his face, there was no reaction from her touch. She was going to have to reach in deeply.

"I am surprised though, you do not seem to be suffering from drinking excessively." Hisana tilted her head lsighlty, he could see the curve of her neck in the kimono and the white of her chest, the delicate rise of her breasts.

"I suppose that walk with you did me well or perhaps it was the cup of tea we had after. Eitehr way, I do feel excellent." Yes, that was so much like Hisana. No need to fake when found out; just run right into it and use the past to justify the present- the perfect liar. A mind like that one had to cherish.

"It is nice to see you wearing the colletion," Byakuya remarked, eyeing her kimono, everyone was looking at it, "though if you don't mind me pointing it out Rukia, you are a bit out of season." Hisana didn't even glance at the bright red sleaves with its gold embossing.

"I don't see the need to look like my surroundings, nii-sama I am not a soldier of war." She pulled at the front of the kimono so he could no longer see down, "A lady must always stand out." Byakuya's lips pulled upward slightly. HIsana noticed and was saddened- it was all she could get out of him, a slight smile and she could not help but feel abandoned. Their laughter was gone, his smiles, his appearance- was this really a staranger? The man she loved, was he under there? Or was he lost forever, stamped out by the nobles… did he still love her?

The silence settled and she poured him more tea.

"there is no need to be traditional, Rukia, this is a modern house." Hisana looked up at him and much to his horror, he could see hurt in them. She cast them down and she pursed her lips. She was closing before his eyes.

"Hai, nii-sama." She didn't know what kind of man this was, but he wasn't the one she married. The one she married loved to be waited upon, he adored her- perhaps it was her weakness, her fragile need that he loved?

"Excuse me nii-sama." She said softly, her throat so stuck she couldn't swallow and without waiting for his response, she bowed stiffly, face close to the floor to hide her watering eyes before getting up and drifting smoothly out of the room.

"Ukitake Taicho," Rukia addressed haltingly, perhaps she was wrong- but who else would venture?

"Yes Rukia?" She glanced at the drunken Taicho lounging on a table looking outside.

"Taicho…" She stared at the white man, who else would do it? "Did you bring my sister back?" Ukitake stared at her in surprise and for a moment Rukia wondered if she had made a terrible mistake.

"Well it makes sense dosen't it?" Shunsui reasoned from his space- that lazy pink cat.

"I suppose, but her sister over her lover?"

"Blood is thicker than water." Rukia hated when the two of them spoke in riddles.

"Oh I'm sorry," Ukitake suddenly remembered she wasn't on their telepathic age old line, "yes we both did."

"No he did," Shunsui objected immideately, "I just tagged along." He yawned and streached largely. Rukia bit her lip, worried about the nect question.

"Do you think nii-sama really loves my sister?" The both men stared at the small woman.

"Why would you ask that?" Ukitake asked, trying to soften his evident surprise. Rukia rolled her shoulders.

"Nii-sama.. he changed over the years hasn't he?"

"Oh you're worried his taste in women has changed?" Rukia bit her bottom lip.

"Dunno if someone would wait half a century for someone to return it has to be real love no?" Shunsui ventured.

"But she's not the same woman." Rukia said quietly.

"Oh what changed?" Ukitake asked. A long silence ensued, she didn't know this woman and she didn't know exactly what was going on… but could she help if she cared?

"Everything…" Rukia answered, "she's nothing like the passive woman who he married, she's not sick any more…" How else could she say it? The servants told her stories and either they were lying of she had changed. Ukitake sighed.

"Don't worry yourself Rukia," Ukitake said kindly, "there had to be something about Hisana that drew your brother to her."

"Why are you concerned anyway?" Shunsui drawled, "if you don't mind me asking." Rukia stared at the Taicho with wide eyes.

"I just want nii-sama to be happy." She begged them not to tell Byakuya anything about her visit or questions and after the pair had reassured her- Ukitake kindly and Shnsui with a shrug, she left for her duty.

"We warned him." Ukitake sighed.

"They all did." Shunsui shrugged, "that was cruel, giving her false hope."

"I didn't," Ukitake answered, "it's a fact, there is something about Hisana that drew him, it wasn't sickness it has to be more that that."

"More?" Ukitake sighed a little and got up from his table.

"Perhaps."

**AN- I am freaking starving! And im home alone ^.^ YAY! AND im done this stupid chapter… ne who… im gonna cook now :D stick around for more of da story! **


	9. Chapter 9

**AN- yesh so… huh don't like Hisana do we readers dearest… well that's too damn bad I ain't changing her. Don't like it, don't read and don't review me to tell me what she's supposed to be. However if I am incorrect in the bleach plot line itself or if my grammar or descriptions are not internationally acceptable, pray do tell. Else, shut it, close this window- and for the ones who like my story- do read on ^.^ . Thank you for reading!**

Ichigo paused and looked about himself, he could didn't think he could ever get over the immaculate splendor of the Kuchiki manor. He looked left and right, there were trees blooming purple and unnecessary.

"Like if all those white walls weren't bad enough." He muttered to himself, wiping his brow. He had been hopelessly searching the grounds for a little black head which he had not seen all morning. He though he had figured out the motive of the new breed of Arrancar but first he needed to find someone to reject his idea and talk some sense into him and where as Byakuya would have done the job fine, he needed someone he couldn't take seriously- hence he was searching for Rukia.

Ichigo stopped and listened, the thought he had heard- and then he was sure he had as it came again, deep wrenching sobs that ripped the sweet air of the balmy morning. Ichigo opened the door- one that looked none too different from the others and stopped, his breath leaving in a rush.

He saw the white legs first, immaculate against the deep brown of the vanished floors, shining silver with the morning light. Then he was taken by the violence of the orange kimono- those colors would have never been seen in this season; then the deep blue obi with its silver chrysanthemums, pale arms, slim neck and then the so very dark hair, shiny and sleek.

"Who are you?" Ichigo found himself saying. She looked up at him, eyes so similar yet obviously different. She bit at her already red lips and dabbed gently at her reddened eyes.

"Rukia."

"You're not Rukia." Ichigo answered immediately, but reaching for his zanpactu was the last thing on his mind.

"Why aren't you attacking?" She asked from where she sat. "Why aren't any of you attacking?" Ichigo blinked.

"What?"

"Since I have been here, no one has attacked me."

"Why should we? Byakuya hasn't attacked you."

"What?"

"Byakuya, he knows you're here, he hasn't come and searched you out yet so I guess that makes you a guest." She looked down at her hand, flat on the pale green of the futon, at her clear nails.

"That makes sense." She muttered. Ichigo stared longer at her, the side profile, the dark feathery eyelashes, neat nose, red lips, full cheeks

"Why were you crying?" Ichigo asked suddenly. She looked up at him and her eyes sprang full again.

"Nothing," She answered, looking down at her feet, curled over each other in their white socks. Ichigo continued to stare in sheer fascination.

"Who are you?" She shook her head.

"No one." Her voice cracked little and sniffling a little, she gathered her self in the violent silk she gracefully moved past him and out into the golden morning light. He watched her settle on the stairs. He didn't know what to say, obviously she was on the verge of tears. He did the only thing he knew to do, he sat down beside her and looked out at the beautiful gardens and clear sky with its mist of clouds.

"So who are you?" Ichigo ventured of a long silence punctuated by the awakening of fowls of the air and listening to the religiously scraping servants as they tried to get the dead leaves off the wet stones.

"Hisana." She answered, Ichigo's brow arched a little at the single title.

"Kuchiki His-"

"NO," She answered forcefully and bit her lip at her short tone, "just Hisana." She breathed. Ichigo felt like laughing a little- Byakuya really did it this time, it hadn't even been twenty four hours and already the love of his life hated him.

"What did he do?" Ichigo ventured. She stared at the servant patiently raking leaves, pretending not to notice either of them. She stared at him for so long, Ichigo thought she didn't hear.

"He changed." She answered suddenly, taking a deep shuddering breath. "He's not my Byakuya any more." The words sounded almost tearful but she continued to stare at the servant raking leaves, dry eyed.

"Who was your Byakuya?" Ichigo wondered aloud- he didn't know what that man was like as a youth, in love, the idea was as impossible to him as he having a wife.

"He was…" She looked up at the sky, "He was real." Ichigo stared at her- she was exactly what he thought Byakuya's wife would be, beautiful, calm, refined, graceful; they were a perfect match.

"Real?" She shook her head and leaned back on the steps, resting her head on the top step while she was seated on the third. Her fingers laced over her torso, she looked the part of a living dead.

"Byakuya-sama," She coughed slightly as her throat rasped, "Byakuya-sama used to be…" She frowned a little, she had a hard time putting her finger on it.

"He wasn't so impervious?" She looked at him from the corner of her eye. The very gesture took his breath.

"Well…" She sighed and closed her eyes; perhaps she could find the answers there. "This Byakuya has a heart of diamond, as cold and as hard and as deceptive." This woman was very interesting.

"Deceptive?"

"Yes," She shook her head a little, she seemed more to be having a bad dream, "diamonds are beautiful and they sparkle, they promise the world but when left alone with them, they give no warmth, they nourish nothing and they have no light." She sobbed a little and sat up quickly, determined to hide her tears from Ichigo.

"That's what Byakuya has become." Ichigo said the words she couldn't say. She nodded as her face hid in her sleeves. He looked at her and felt a love for this small woman often reserved for his sisters. He reached out an arm and put it around her shoulder, pressing her head to his chest. She cried a little more. Her tears were used sparingly, as though making them was hard on her little body and so, using them was to be held to quota. She sniffled a little more and dabbed her eyes again, sitting up, she did not move her hands as they were folded on his leg.

"The Byakuya-sama I knew was," She laughed a little, "much messier."

"Messier?"

"His hair was always tousled and his robes were never straight and he used his face a lot." Ichigo found this hard to believe.

"His face?" She nodded.

"His face was always so alive, always twisting and grimacing, smiling and laughing and his eyes were so bright they burned you." She sighed a little and leaned against Ichigo, who ever this woman was, she was as infinitely cut as a jewel, no wonder Byakuya waited all these years for her.

"Nothing's really changed about him I guess," He ventured.

"What do you mean?" She looked up at his face- so trusting, so free of malice.

"I mean well…" He scratched the back of his head, how should he say it? "Byakuya used to have a high temper and Senbonzakura has it but all the other things you said Byakuya used to be Senbonzakura doesn't have it and if it's a reflection of his soul then I guess somewhere deep down he's still that way." She was still staring at him.

"Why do you call Byakuya-sama by his first name?" Ichigo blushed a little and shrugged.

"Dunno, guess it has something to do with there being no proof that I should show him respect." She frowned a little.

"You've fought Byakuya-sama and won?" Ichigo laughed.

"Well I didn't win but I didn't loose either." Hisana stared a little longer at him; she moved back a little seeming to suddenly notice their proximity and looked him over for the briefest of moments.

"Oh." She stood up and began to go up stairs.

"Hisana." She looked back at him angrily.

"That's Rukia." She snapped, looking around, the servants had gone off somewhere.

"Err, yeah, Rukia."

"What?" He took her hand, two steps above him and she only towered slightly over him, she was very short.

"Look," he took her hand, something about her made him thin she was about to fly away in a moment, "Byakuya is the man you married, nothing's really changed."

"How do you know?"

"Well," he frowned a little, "sometimes, he just is not his usual stoic self, he just does something that makes us all stare a little, somewhere in there Hi-Rukia, he has a heart." She stared at him, those eyes could swallow people whole.

"You're trying to say that all I need to do is reach a little further?" Ichigo considered her words.

"I guess." She looked away, seemed to be weighing the idea.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

**AN- sorry, hard to keep on this story line… im on meds and it has me a little funny… kinda on automatic… I haven't had a provincial thought in a while… im using words and I have no idea what they mean :P… ne who… enjoy.**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN- Thank you my sweet little readers for not ragging on my Hisana any more :D. Now ON WITH DA STORY!... oh yeah and now I'm in love so things are gonna get a little more romantic on the plot… I think.**

Ichigo started as though he had been burnt, looking up with wide eyes at the man who silently bore down on him with his dark aura. He dropped the hand he was holding and stepped back, and finding no footing on the narrow steps, found himself falling into the bushes.

"Byakuya!" He jumped right back up, never mind the thorns and unto the steps, standing lower than he had been. He considered that he might have been imagining it but there was even more loathing in Byakuya's reiatsu than he could remember.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichigo briefly wondered why he didn't get pissed off like normal people but the thought was interrupted by the giggle of the most distracting creature in the scene.

"Are you all right Ichigo?" She leaned forward too much and tip toed a little so that she could reach him two steps lower and he winced a little as she tugged at his hair. "Briars." She spoke casually, flicking it into the air. The reiatsu became heavier.

"Heh, yeah." He dusted his hair hurriedly, trying to avoid any more reason for her to touch him. She stood looking at him with the face he knew and didn't know at the same time. The calm in her eyes were like nothing he had ever seen on the other face. Then he raised his attention a little at the man standing two steps above her. Never mind the discomforting reiatsu; he was as composed as she, physically. It was a novel scene and he stared.

"What are you doing on my compound?" Ichigo started out of his interest in the pair.

"I-I was looking for Rukia."

"And what do you want Ichigo?" Hisana asked softly, her eyes dared him to say the truth.

"Uhh… ummm… Renji…" He scratched the back of his head as nervous perspiration exploded on his skin, "was looking for you." He was a horrible liar.

"Really?" She laughed in amusement.

"You were not expecting Renji?" Byakuya asked smoothly. His little wife looked up at him and Ichigo with a mixture of shock and disgust witnessed a softening in his expression- the slightest melting of his icy demeanor.

"No need to be protective nii-sama." She smiled gently. "He probably wants to tell me some foolish little thing." She looked back down at Ichigo. "Am I right?"

"Yeah just something stupid."

"All right then." She jumped the two steps and landed neatly next to Ichigo.

"You're going bare feet?" She looked down at her small toes pink with impact as though seeing them for the first time.

"Oh, nii-sama, could you pass those shoes for me please." Byakuya looked down at her. His face a closed book; his reiatsu spiked ever so slightly. Then too suddenly for his nature, he turned away and fetched the slippers at the side of the door by their thongs and came down to their level. The stared up at him, lips opened slightly, she tore her gaze from his own and reached forward for the slippers. She never received them as he smoothly, if not gracefully fell to his knees and lifted the edge of her kimono slightly.

"N-" Ichigo was half disgusted but still fascinated and shocked as he took one of her small pale feet in his hands and dusted the sole gently before staking a slipper up and putting it on the foot. Then gently he cupped the other. She misbalanced a little in the wooden slippers and with the smallest sound. Grabbed his shoulder to steady herself. His hands paused but for a moment before brushing under her other sole and slipping the other shoe on. He looked up at her and Ichigo's eyes widened in shock and a little disgust as his hands slipped a little further under the kimono- no higher than the shin but somehow the gesture seemed purely sexual. He drew himself full height and her hands came away slowly as her fingers tangled in his black locks.

She refused to look at him, holding the hand that had tangled in his hair like a naughty child. He looked a little bit off the direction of her face and more at the ground behind her.

"I would like to have lunch with you."

"I will be home by eleven." There was a drawn silence.

"Be safe." He said singularly and was gone in a rush of robes. She looked up with a slight gasp and wide eyes, her cheeks coloring.

"Hm." Ichigo pretended he hadn't seen a thing.

…

"_Byakuya-sama stop, you'll be late." _

"_Never mind it." _

"_What about the servants?" She arrested the restless hand with her thighs but they were stronger and she had no real will._

"_What of them." He looked up at her silently as her face melted and her breaths came faster. She closed her eyes and leaned back in the wooden slippers, a hand pulled her forward gently, her fingers found his shoulders, the long black hair. He was on his knees now, her hands found his head._

"_Byakuya-sama."_

…

Hisana exhaled slowly, trying to dispel the lustful burning in her belly as another unbidden memory rushed to her.

"You all right?" She looked up at Ichigo and laughed uneasily.

"Sure I am." She wished she had worn something under the kimono; silk was so hard to clean. "So…" She folded her hands behind her head, Ichigo tried not to notice the bust. "Who is Renji?" Ichigo laughed a little.

"Oh when you meet him you'll know him." She frowned a little and with a small groan, folded her hands under her breasts. He looked over at her; somewhat sorry he had shut her up.

"Byakuya likes you." She said suddenly. He choked on the words he was about to use for a conversation.

"He what?" He hacked out. She was smiling.

"He likes you."

"Eh?" What did this pint sized woman who barely remembered anything knows about Byakuya's feelings towards him? As far as Ichigo knew, Byakuya loathed him and the second he found a good reason, he would kill the menace of a strawberry.

"I don't know how to explain it really, but I can always tell when he likes someone. For one thing he was a little mean to you." She looked up at him, smiling. "That's how he is with people he likes." Ichigo chuckled.

"If what you say is true, then he must be in love with Renji." She shrugged a little.

"As far as I know. Byakuya-sama would have nothing short of perfection and if he's mean to you it just means he appreciates you and would prefer you to be a better person." Ichigo shook his head- of all the definitions of Byakuya's queer behavior; this had to top it all.

"Then you must be perfect." She stumbled a little and he heard her take in breath sharply. "Oh I'm sorry." He gushed.

"I'm not perfect." She answered in a small voice. The silence settled. Ichigo looked around uneasily, hoping for the red head to appear and when he saw him walking past, he grabbed him.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Renji yelled, lashing out angrily at the orange haired boy.

"Sorry Renji but I called you a couple of times and you didn't answer. Maybe if you go that big head out of those clouds then you'd hear people."

"Are you telling me I'm dreamy?" He growled.

"Yeah I am, probably why you can't fight too well."

"What did you say?" Renji glared.

"You heard me."

"Why you little-"

"Oh you two, will you just stop?" The pair stared at the woman in the kimono. "You're killing me." She choked, holding her sides and doubling over in laughter.

"Is there something wrong with Rukia?" Renji managed, side mouthing.

"Dunno I guess she finally got on some pills." Hisana was still laughing. Renji just stared.

"It feels like Rukia." He finally said. Ichigo resisted some snide comment- how someone could be so stupid. Never mind the reiatsu, it was so obviously not Rukia. Even the appearance was different. There was no spa in the Sereitei that could change Rukia like that.

"Haaa." She sniffled and drew herself up right. "You two." She chuckled again, threatening full blown laughter but she managed control. "Where are we going?" The both of them stared at her and Ichigo for the first time realized he had never been with Rukia under any other circumstances besides business. The idea or relaxation around Rukia had never occurred to him and now that he was with her doppelganger, he didn't know what to do with her.

"Umm, I-I dunno." Renji said, coming to the same realization as Ichigo. She looked around herself for a moment.

"The plum blossoms are in season," She finally said, "let's go find a tree." Thus they found themselves in the violet shade of a fully bloomed plum tree. Sitting feeling rather awkward as the two hot blooded males sat on either side of the small woman lying on her back under the shade.

"Isn't this nice?" She sighed, doming her legs and crossing one over the other. Ichigo felt his face flare and looked away- why was it that something like I kimono made any appearance of flesh look so sexual? Or was is just her? Either way siting under the tree with this woman who had liberated her legs from the folds of silk and was showing them as easy as you please was quickly becoming too much for him.

"Umm, Rukia?"

"Yes Renji?"

"What are we doing here?" She pulled herself up on her elbows and looked at him. Renji looked right back without so much as a blush.

"We're relaxing Renji." She smiled a little and flopped back down, taking a hold of the bangs in front of her face and twirling it slowly.

"Rukia?"

"Yes Renji?" There was a long pause.

"Are you feeling all right?" She looked up at him and smiled a little, stretching up over her head so that her arms bent with the bark of the tree, she slipped her hands slowly down.

"Never better." She answered with another smile. Renji looked down at her, frowning a little, she stared back. The silence lasted.

"Are you on something?" She grinned wider and yawned a little.

"Perhaps, it's really none of your business." The uncrossed and re-crossed her legs and looked up at Ichigo.

"I have known nothing denser." Ichigo looked down at her and she smiled. Ichigo let out an unbidden snort.

"Are you two talking about me?" She looked up at him with wide eyes, there was never any of this innocence on Rukia's face- how could Renji be so blind?

"Not everything is about you Renji." Ichigo smiled good naturedly at the fact that she hadn't denied Renji's question. "How are you and nii-sama getting along by the way?" Renji sighed a little and frowned, leaning back on the tree and folding his arms.

"He's as impossible as ever."

"Nii-sama, impossible?" Renji looked down at her.

"Don't you find him impossible?" She stared up at him a moment longer. She was probably staring at his tattoos Ichigo thought; then she smiled and nodded slowly.

"Yes I suppose he is a little difficult but then again I haven't seen him a while except this morning. What did he do this time?" Renji frowned at her phrasing, Rukia never spoke like that, but if Ichigo was talking to her and if Byakuya had been talking to her- something he would run by his Taicho later, then it must be all right?

"Just the usual thing, cold as ice behavior," Renji sighed, "but I am still honored he is my Taicho."

"He really isn't that cold." She defended, reaching up at the cool air like a child. Renji looked down at her. "He probably wants you to stop being so stupid."

"HEY I'M NOT BEING STUPID! HE SHOULD STOP BEING SO STUCK UP!" There was no usual reaction. She simply stared at him with eyes that seemed to be full of stars and dreams. Renji's anger disappeared immediately and he was sorry but she simply sat up suddenly and looked at him with the air of a predator.

"Stop being so stupid Renji." She slapped him on the forehead with her palm and with the other hand, pulled his hair loose so that it tumbled down his shoulder. "For one thing, there's no need to get mad at everything. Try being calmer, he'd like you more." She leaned on his shoulder, throwing his red hair over her face and staring up at him from between the make shift bangs. He stared back at this playful creature, his cheeks colored a little.

"Yeah, I guess." She put a foot between Ichigo's stretched out legs and rested her head against Renji's shoulder.

"this is nice isn't it Renji?" The fukutaicho stared down the bright grassy slope that stretched some feet away from them and then at the neatness of the buildings of the Sereitei even farther away.

"Yeah… it is."

…

"Is it just me or is Rukia different?" Renji wondered, as she liberated herself of them under the excuse of having a planned lunch with her nii-sama. Ichigo looked over at him- really how stupid was he?

"It's just you." Ichigo answered bluntly, getting up from under the tree.

She found him; back to the garden, in his bright Taicho robes. She stopped for a moment in the dirt of the garden to take her shoes off and survey him from behind. It just wasn't the same- certainly not his proportions. The old Byakuya was a slim man and was rather mellow and light. This one was strong and everything about him was intense, like looking at sunlight. She didn't know if she could handle something like him. Even his every essence had changed- it was so strong and firm- how could she love someone who was nothing like the one she knew? She padded up the stairs and setting the slippers by the door, came in.

"It is good that you came, Rukia." She frowned a little and pressing her bust at the back of his head, tilted her head down so that they were eye to eye.

"Who do you think you're calling Rukia?" She asked softly, if not playfully, pushing at his bangs so that she could have an uninterrupted view of his features.

"Hisana." He muttered, closing his eyes against the wide ones and turning his head to one side. She frowned a little and stood at his side, gently tugging his shoulder so that he would turn.

"Byakuya." Her good feelings were quickly draining as she watched this man she didn't know yet knew and loved so much. She cupped his face in her hands and tilted his head up. He opened his eyes and she leaned close, he turned his head slightly to one side.

"Hisana, don't." She bit her lip as tears quickly sprung. "If I kiss you," He continued, dropping his head to his breast, "I won't be able to stop myself." She reconsidered him, the frame full of muscle and latent power then she saw right underneath, that same man full of passion and ease simply restrained by grief and now falling apart with shock. She had been too hard on him she realized and she noticed his fists clenched to whiteness.

She took his head and pressed it to her bosom, softly and laid a kiss in the path of that black head. He remained still and silent but somewhere behind the demeanor, there was the man she knew.

"I love you, Byakuya-sama." She whispered. There was no response. She could feel his reiatsu fighting control. She settled at the table just as the servant walked in with food.

"I love you too." He husked over the clatter of bowls settling.

**AN- I was briefly considering making this story more complex… something involving the Noble order and pregnancies and jail and seduction… but then I changed my mind… I'm just gonna stick to the original story line. Though I must warn you, it gets more dramatic from here. Ummm… and just so that my dear readers know… I may or may not finish this story… I haven't been too happy lately and suicide is tempting… so if a few months past and I don't update… just know that I'm really sorry.**

**Any who… ENJOY :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN- it gets dramatic here… so don't hate me please… I really can't deal with a flame on top of this shitty existence. **

"Nii-sama," Byakuya started and looked up, in the gloom, his gaze catching the only other body in the yellow lamp lit room.

"What are you doing here," He asked softly, feeling his body tingle, "Rukia?" The small woman closed one eye at him and smirked a little.

"Really? Must you use that name even when we are alone?"

"You never know who is listening." She sighed a little and rested the flat of her foot on her knee. From where he was he could see the tempting secret of white thighs.

"You and I both know you cannot be caught unaware." She proclaimed, twisting the messy bang before her face.

"You shouldn't stand like that," He remarked, casually sinking deeper into the heated water and letting it consume him as steam rose and fogged his vision pale, "it's unbecoming." She smirked a little but didn't move, her skin heated with his dark gaze that traced her form from between black bangs and she took in the long hair that floated on the water's surface, the contours of his chest, the small weakness of his throat, the strong neck and firm chin. She breathed deeply and sharply, unable to look any more.

"You won't say it?" She whispered to the silent private bathroom. The empty wooden corridors did not catch her voice and the darkness did not care for her secrets, instead they breathed with soft candle light snuffed by yellow silk that painted the room soft. He looked down at the water, the secrets of her thighs tempted him, how much he did want to taste of her and feel her that beneath there was a stirring.

"Hisana." He spoke, gratingly soft but the empty bath house left them their privacy and echoed nothing. There were no foreign witness in the darkness; it was a moment of peace for the pair.

"Byakuya-sama." She responded, dropping the leg, she looked down at him, the slim nose, thin lips, thick lashes that swept at his cheeks.

"Why are you here?" He spoke to the water, not to her, she felt somewhat sad.

"Because…" What could she say? Did he not understand how very much she needed him? It wasn't even his duties keeping them apart but rather his birth rite as a Noble. "It has been a week since you were away."

"But Hisana-"

"I was lonely." He looked at her. She had sat at some point, one foot dangling in the water, the other tucked under her buttocks, right there he could see that white warmth, it whetted his appetite. He let his feet settle on the stone floor and he walked closer. She looked up at him, her face stone, eyes burning with lust at every contour then that- She shuddered a little and held out a towel to her husband.

"Did you not entertain yourself my sweet wife?" He could almost laugh at her girlish reaction to him but then again, he did know he had greatly changed. He was now a soldier, not just some slight noble; he was not the man she used to know.

"The strawberry kept me ample company." She replied with a little shrug.

"Did he now?" His brow arched slightly and he looked down at her, the form of her nose, so small and curved, her neat lips, the pale brow he so wanted to kiss.

"The human world is so exciting-"

"You went to the human world?" His tone was sharp, she started and looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Well the boy couldn't stay here now could he?" She answered equally sharp. She stared at him and slowly shaking her head closed them. "This isn't-" She sighed and stood. "Forget it." She turned away from him.

"Hisana, no." His grip, hot and soft was on her wrist. The first thing that struck her was the callouses on his palms. War had thickened his fingertips, they were still tapering but stubby at the tips. These hands she knew nothing of, was there anything about him that hadn't changed? Anything at all she could take from him and hold it to herself, one thing she could claim as belonging to herself? No, his life had changed him, maybe fifty-four years was too long. "Please look at me." He whispered, another warm hand to cup her cheek and then it was more than she could bear.

"Byakuya, stop." The pain she had buried over the week twisted inside and she sobbed a little. She pushed at him but his gaze at the side of her face held her fast. She bit her lip but the tears came any way, fast and hot, blinding her.

"Hisana."

"Just stop it please." She begged. The tone was worse than any attack from any zanpactu. He let her go, she bit her lip, he did not move. Her hurt died a little and she stole a glance at him and she could see she had hurt him. He stood slowly and turned away but she couldn't leave, she stared at the back of this man who was so deeply changed. Was he really too far for her to reach? Was there anything about him she could claim? Was it over? "Good night, husband." She said softly.

"Good night," She lingered, he dropped the towel; she turned away, and rustled the door open, "wife."

This strawberry boy was strange if not stubborn. There was something about him she liked, something she felt connected to and safe. He was something about him she knew, something familiar- and it scared her.

"What are you draw- OH MY GO- What in the name of the Sereitei are you drawing?" Hisana looked up at Rukia and smiled wickedly.

"What does it look like?" She giggled, shading slowly.

"Is that- what- he doesn't look like-"

"And what would you know of your nii-sama nude body my fair sister?" Hisana asked, swinging her feet.

"I don't like your conviction." Rukia answered, frowning.

"Well what do you know?" Rukia stole a glance again at the picture.

"Does he really look like-" Hisana grinned widely. "You know what I don't want to know. Just don't draw anything more."

"But I've got to draw his other tes-"

"JUST SHUT UP!" Hisana laughed, closing the rice paper drawing book as she stood.

"My poor little sister," She smiled at the thoroughly disgusted sibling, "was there something you wanted?" Rukia cast a furtive glance at the book in her sister's hand before back at the face.

"Byakuya-nii-sama asked me to dinner." She responded, folding her arms over her chest. Hisana's gaze dropped.

"Why are you telling me that?" She asked quietly, dropping the book on the bed. It bounced and a loose page slipped out. Rukia glanced at it and felt a bitter pang- it was a sketch of Ichigo.

"Well it was an obvious invitation to you." Rukia answered plainly. Hisana turned slightly away.

"How are you sure of that?" Really, was her sister being difficult?

"Why else would he- Hisana, ever since nii-sama came back you haven't been to see him."

"Since I came back I haven't spent at least forty eight hours with him." She snapped in response. Rukia merely stared at the blazing hurt in the beautiful eyes. Therein lay the difference, she was a beautiful thing but as dead as a doll, she was deeply associated with everything but severely disconnected. She should have realized there was something wrong when she did not even protest when the news of Byakuya's sudden business venture did not even cause the slightest reaction. In retrospect, she did not even look up, it was as though Rukia had told her he had gone to work- she said okay and no more.

"You go." It was not a request, or even an order, it was her pain and she was giving into it with severe revenge on Byakuya's part.

"Wait, where are you going?" She looked back, slightly- it was novel, her wrinkled kimono, the grey world behind her, a foot in a sandal, the other one in her hand, the eyes, empty, cold, so deep- she could never be like her sister.

"Out." She answered, the door rattled shut leaving Rukia feeling very alone.

Though at first the idea had seemed refreshing and exciting, Rukia being Hisana's doppelganger and fooling Byakuya was not being as a fun a thing as she thought. She expected thrills and spills, seeing a side of her brother as he got them confused but within twenty four hours of Hisana's return, he was called away by the Noble Order and he had been gone for a week.

In the beginning, Hisana seemed relatively calm, if not unbothered by her lover's absence. She said little and lay in Rukia's futon, on her side reading human magazines and chewing on her candy. The candy never ran out and the magazines were endless, but within a day she was bored and demanded Rukia traded places with her so she could roam a little. Rukia however could not allow it since she had a job and after a slight debate, she was sent off to the human world where at the moment Rukia was not needed. There she stayed for the period of a week doing who knew what before returning rather somber one night and dropping herself in a corner, while Rukia feinted sleep, her sister cried- that had been yesterday. Then this morning, there was the strange request of dinner from the noble.

Yet what Rukia hated about the present situation was her being a mere pawn throughout. Yet there was little else to be done beyond the obvious.

A corridor in the house never seemed more ominous than the one leading to Byakuya's bedroom. It was dark and quiet, catching her every step as she came closer to the man she lived with for so many years and knew so little about. It was obvious the invitation was not for her and dinner with a man who was hardly interested in her was not on her agenda.

"Nii-sama." She slid the door open and fell on her face.

"What is it Rukia?"

"I am sorry nii-sama but my duties do not allow me to attend dinner." There was no response. The silence lasted for so long, she thought herself mistaken and looked up. Yes, he was there, as rigid as a wall, back to her, writing slowly- she could tell by the slight rise and fall of his elbow.

"Is that all?" He finally asked, softly. She dropped her gaze again.

"Hai, nii-sama." He continued to write.

"Then you are dismissed." She scuttled out of the room backwards and on her knees, closed the door- he still had not stopped writing. He did not fail her with a lack of reaction; what else did she expect? For him to rant and curse; to demand the whereabouts of his wife? And where did his wife go?

In the privacy of her neat bedroom, the single book looked very out of place. Amongst all the things she owned of conservative greys and blues and browns, the single note book stood out with its silk cover and lace cut in the shape of a cherry blossom tree. It was one of the most expensive books in the Kuchiki stores- an eccentricity Rukia would never allowed herself to buy. Beside the book, on her pale green futon was the sketch of Ichigo; it was taken in profile and he was laughing. Rukia sat down and opened the book and from the first page, it was obvious where Hisana had gone.

"Hello Ichigo," The orange haired boy looked up and started violently.

"His- what are you doing here?" He managed, glancing around. Sure enough, everyone was staring at the woman in the blue kimono with its green silk embroidery. She shrugged a little. Her small hands were folded just at the edge of his book and she was looking down at his handwriting.

"I missed you."

"But I thought Byakuya was home." She tilted her head to one side and then too suddenly, burst into tears. Everyone stared, Ichigo jumped up, sending the chair tumbling over.

"I- I'm sorry, I-I uhh, I- I'm sorry." They were still staring as she was quickly coming under control.

"Sorry." She hiccupped a little and rubbed at her eyes. "I- I shouldn't be here."

"Wait, don't go-"

"No, I have to." She stood, folding her hands before her, playing with the gold string on her silk cloth bag, she looked devastated and quickly she turned around and walked away.

"Hisana, WAIT!" He scrambled at his book and stuffing them carelessly in his back, chased after her, shoving a group of boys out of the door way. She was hardly making an effort to go anywhere but she didn't seem aware of it, instead she was touring her way out of the school, walking very slowly in her green kimono with its scarlet band and rose shaped tie. "Hisana let's go somewhere and talk." She didn't look up.

"What about your school, isn't that important?" Ichigo shrugged a little.

"Not really, I'm failing this semester any way." She looked up at him with very beautiful eyes. "And please stop crying." He pulled out one of Yuzu's embroidered handkerchief and offered it. She smiled a little.

"Okay."

**AN- Yeah so… I hoped you liked it… please don't flame me. :/**


	12. Chapter 12

Ichigo stared hard at himself, he knew he had seen it in the passing car, how ever brief. There was no tiredness to fool his mind and no immediate problem that would dull his thoughts. Besides, he could feel him, bristling under his skin like some urgent black fire, a cancer eating into his personality, making him say things he should not say.

"Stop messing with my head." He muttered to the mirror. He stared at the brown eyes hard. "Do you hear me?" He whispered to himself.

"My, my," Came the soft response from the back of his mind and then at the same time a little bit over his shoulder, "King seems to be loosing his mind."

"What do you want Hollow." Ichigo snapped to his reflection. He stared at his own angry brown eyes for a long moment before his reflection flickered and from his features was plucked out a soulless version of himself. With yellow eyes and white skin, the warp of his soul stared back.

"I want nothing my dear King." He whispered in response, "but rather what do you want?" Ichigo, in the background of his image stared at the white foreground in confusion.

"Look hollow," Ichigo sighed, "I don't have time for your riddles."

"You'd better have time King, before I do something drastic." Ichigo glared at the white reflection.

"What do you want you stupid ho-"

"It's hot in here King." Ichigo tried to show no emotion but the confusion was instant. "I like it cool but its like a fucking sauna in here. Even Zengestu dropped that stupid coat of his." The strain of leaning over the sink was eating into his neck and outside he could hear the chirp of the dark night. A dog howled and a car drove smoothly past- the sounds of the night was calling him to his bed.

"What are you trying to say Hollow?" Ichigo muttered, straightening up and rubbing an eye, never taking his attention of the white reflection of himself.

"Since you met that little woman, your world has been hot." The hollow's black lips drew a smirk on the white face. Ichigo glared back at the mirror.

"Stop talking shit." He muttered, turning on the faucet.

"You can lie to the world but not to yourself." The hollow answered singularly.

"Very well, what ever you'd like to believe."The orange haired answered himself, palming his face into cold water.

"I don't blame you King, if anything, I could say she touched my soul a little." Ichigo stopped and looked at himself but that was all he could see. Somewhere within there was a feeling of unease, a grief he had never before felt, a tremor of his soul but it had nothing to do with him and for a moment, he was afraid.

"Ridiculous." He muttered, shaking the towel out and pressing it to his face, his mind though he realized was not a place of ease, there was something black and powerful lurking but any explanation for it was unlikely on his behalf.

He stepped out of the little bathroom and glanced at he clock glowing in the dark of the room- it read three thirty in the morning. As much as he would like to, he didn't want to think of the reactions of the people he would be waking up at this time. It was probably something hormonal anyway, something completely normal bu still, he was sure Uraharra would be slightly interested. Maybe in the morning.

"Yeah, in the morning." He sighed, turning on the desk lamp and his heart stopped cold. Her face was small and the picture of innocence, his covers drawn to her chin, lips bow and parted, hair whip across her pale, small features. All night study it was.

It was either the sharp reiatsu or the calling of his name but something woke him up with a start. He rubbed his eye and glared around, his gaze falling on an ugly face.

"What the hell are you doing here Renji?" He muttered, angry to be woken up in the first place and then having to look at that face as soon as he woke up.

"Nothing I just sensed Rukia here so I wanted to see her." He answered. Ichigo looked around, the room looked smaller than he remembered and the wavering of cloak revealed the other person.

"Byakyua?" Ichigo balked. The noble looked not in the slightest interested in the boy but rather the woman in his bed. The noble spoke.

"What is she doing there?" Renji looked sorry for Ichigo as the boy searched for an answer.

"She... err... she comes here some times to sleep-"

"Since when?" Renji demanded.

"That is none of your concern." Byakyua answered for Ichigo, "why?" Renji shriveled away.

"Because- err... because she just... err.. I really don't know." Ichigo finally answered. Byakyua looked at the small white shoulder close to the cheek and too suddenly turned away and then out his window. Renji frowned and stared at the woman in the bed.

"Yeah so Renji-"

"I've gotta go." He answered and followed his Taicho. Ichigo sighed and looked from the window to the clock- it was six thirty and then at the woman in his bed. Somewhere within him, his soul trembled.

….

Her world was wrong, she could tell before she even opened her eyes. Something was heavy and rested on her soul. The urge to go back to sleep was strong but the task of the day drew her to consciousness. The first thing struck her was the mere fact she was leaning on the broad shoulder of a violent haired teen, then it was the stuffed toy practicing his pouncing on the window sill before he actually did it. Neither of those things were as normal as her waking up, but still there was something that rested heavily on her heart.

She looked at the clock- it was Friday, the thirteenth no less; one week since she left the Sereitei and still he did not come. She sighed heavily and tousled her hair.

"Morning Hisana." The stuffed toy said quietly so as not to alert the sleeping boy.

"Morning." She muttered to her lap. The feeling to cry was overwhelming. Where was her husband? Why did he not follow her? Maybe it really was over, maybe he abandoned her for leaving him and now he had married behind her back and it was all over. She buried her face in her hands.

"Byakuya was by last night." Kon said causally, getting up. She looked up at the plush that was whispering 'GOOD MORNING ICHIGO' and taking a running dive.

"Is he now." She remarked quietly. Still, her heart was heavy, where was the man?

The question prevailed in her mind as she slowly washed the dishes from last night. She had forgotten as her depression overrode her but she refused to let the girls do it as Karin and Yuzu had school in the morning. She could tell from curious glances they were worried about her but she could handle herself, at least for the while.

She sat nursing a cup of tea as it had been long established that in her state cooking was her least admirable quality but her busy body made her scrub every square inch of the place. She sat staring at the shiny table she had rubbed clean that morning while Yuzu went on about how she had never seen the wears so shiny. It was really getting to her, he was here now but why? A job obviously, it was always a job, she was always second priority. It really shouldn't bother her either, she knew what she was getting herself into but reborn, this was not what she wanted for herself. This man, even if in the last life she loved him, in this one she didn't think she wanted such a delinquent creature for a lover- much less the father of her child. The money and status did not matter, not when it seemed she hardly mattered to him.

"I'm going now." Came a soft voice in her ear. She shifted her head a little and found the bronze face too close to hers for comfort.

"Okay." She muttered, resisting the urge to punch him; someone had to tell this teen she was using him for a home and a person to lean on- there was no relationship in this and she had no intention of being with him. Then, as soon as she thought it, tears sprung to her eyes and she threw the cup into the wall over the sink. It smashed but she didn't watch as the tea smeared the wall as she hid her gaze in the pillow of her arms as she set about relieving herself of the deep grief that rode her and grew stronger with every passing day.

"Where are you?" She whispered with a sniffle. She turned her face out of the heated space between the table and her arms and to the fridge. "Where are you Byakuya?" She sobbed again.

…

It was almost unbearable, the hurt buried in his heart. The source of it he could not blame but he couldn't say how he ended up in bed. He was certain he had lain his head in his Biology book and drifted off to sleep and then he was in his own bed. He could tell from the smell of his clothes, she had been next to him and it burned his belly to know that.

Ichigo sighed loudly and put down his pen, rubbed his face hard and looked outside. His heart stopped. There in the court yard stood Byakuya, looking like a ghost in plain day, but he was not looking up, but rather purposely walking across the courtyard and then out of view.

"Mr. Kurosaki!" The teacher yelled. Ichigo started to his feet.

"Excuse me Mam, I need the bathroom." And before she could say a word, he was out and down the hall, rushing through the school. Byakyua was there and he felt a little doomed. In fact he could feel the building suddenly become heavier; almost crushing. He was running now, expecting to see the dead looking man appear from any corner and scare the life out of him.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." His name came soft, far and behind him. The orange haired boy stopped and looked back. He was standing there in a geigei, donning a black shirt and easy attitude, he looked normal save his eyes. There was a loss in them; not the conceit Ichigo constantly saw but a severe disconnection from everything and reality- it was as though someone had killed the noble.

"Byakuya." He thought he would have felt fear after being seen with the man's wife after the night before but instead he felt a deep sense of pity for this walking dead. "What are you doing here Byakuya?"

The noble looked out the window he was standing opposite, hands in his pockets in an easy manner and then those eyes, too lost, rather hurt tore into Ichigo's soul.

"I have come-" The bell rang and the doors spilled open and there was down right riot of a reaction.

…

She couldn't stay in this house, it was sending her mad, knowing he was there, smelling him, feeling him. He pervaded her every thought, movement and consideration. She stood back from the three cakes and four breads she had baked. Her hands were itching though with worry and anger. The tea on the wall was long gone, as was every bit of grime in the house. Clothes washed and ironed; floor swept and mopped, scrubbed and varnished. Every bit of ware was polished and set neatly away. There was nothing left in the house for her to do and it sent her crazy. She scowled at the food and whipped off her apron- there had to be something to do. She looked in the fridge- it was almost bare.

"Well I hope I don't see that bastard of a noble." She muttered angrily, tossing off her house dress in the kitchen, she threw it in the empty hamper as she passed and stormed upstairs. "With his stuck up self thinking he can treat his wife as he treats everyone else. Well Kuchiki-sama, you are wrong!" She yelled to the empty house, her own conviction echoing back to herself. "So every wrong." Her reflection frowned and crumpled to tears

…

"I saw that coming." Ichigo muttered, sucking on the orange straw. Byakuya should have looked severely unimpressed by the polythene cup of hot tea in his hand but rather he was distracted, looking unseeingly at the passing crowd just beyond the glass window of their cubicle.

"What did you see coming?" His voice sounded relatively the same- uninterested and indulgent but his eyes said something else.

"The girls clamoring all over you," Ichigo answered with a shrug, "I saw it coming." He couldn't explain it but he had a strong urge to kill Byakuya. He would call it jealousy but he could hardly imagine why he would feel that way toward the man. There was nothing Byakyua had that he could claim to want- _and there was one thing he had that Byakyua wants_- the thought drifted into his head so sneakily he looked about to see if someone had put it there and then back at the noble. No, that couldn't be true.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, this is not my style but-"

"It's about Hisana?" Byakyua looked more irritated that he was interrupted than surprised.

"Yes, it is."

"She's not mad at you as far as I can tell."

"Do you know why she left?" The urge to gloat was strong, but he was quick to recognize the influence of this new other being who was quickly laying waste to his natural order of morale and values.

"She just has a problem with you." He managed over the many gloats that flooded his mind.

"What about me-"

"All of you." The urge was getting strong and he figured as long as he spoke then he couldn't think up something else to rub in the man's face. "It's just you've become too noble for her. Why did you come to me though?" One of the insults slipped out but it hardly sounded like it and it was only part of a rather rude comment. Ichigo trapped his tongue between his teeth- he could not say the other things, not unless he wanted to taste Senbonzakura in the middle of the cafe. Byakuya looked at him.

"She took a special liking to you." He answered. "Almost a family attachment. I didn't think it was possible."

"What was?" The words kept popping out.

"For her to appreciate someone beside myself without wanting to manipulate them." The words struck Ichigo hard- not him but rather a part of his soul and he felt hope soar in his chest. He wondered what was going on with him- perhaps it was not puberty anymore? "There she is." Ichigo said, in wonder rather than to alert the noble. He was in awe of how his heart thundered at the sight of her. He looked back at the noble- he wouldn't allow such a thing to happen to himself but he felt himself fading into this urge that ebbed at his very humanity.

"Yes." He looked at her, standing holding tightly to her purse, staring at the billboard across the street with news rushing across.

"What are you waiting for, a written invitation?" Ichigo asked in sheer annoyance. The noble looked back at the teen who glared at him and then at the woman still watching the news. He got up.

**AN- sorry about taking so long but first I had to get outta a rough spot before I could have written about this every same thing :P. so enjoy yada yada yada... no flames, reviews are okay, constructive criticism accepted blah blah blah.. ill try to finish it up in the next chap. Thank you for your patron-ship and I hope u enjoyed it.**


	13. Chapter 13

**And then I should have told you, what I should have said; and now I miss everything about you...**

She could feel him even before she could see him and her heart thundered deafeningly in her chest. She stopped breathing so that her throat hurt and her eyes burned for the sake of all the emotions that erupted within her in knowing he was so near.

"Hisana," His voice came clear over the roar of afternoon traffic and lessened it to a din. Quite suddenly it was hard to see what was scrolling on the screen before her. The woman with her painted smiling face blurred before her eyes and she went deaf with sudden anger- she had to remind Byakyua where he stood. She looked up at him and he down at her. This was not the man she married, not the man she loved, not the man she wanted to hold and kiss her. She looked away- who was this man? Who ever he was, she hated him.

"Hai, Byakuya...san." His demotion pronounced, she returned her attention to the screen, perhaps he would go away? Isn't that how his pride worked? Once she hurt him he would go, he would leave in a fit of rage?

"May I speak to you more privately?" He continued softly. She felt so maddened by the way he spoke, why was he such an ass? Why would he not just leave her alone? Did he not understand she just simply hated him? She looked up at him, there was a snap in the air between them.

"Lead the way." She said, dropping her gaze. She might hate him but she did not want to burn him to a char with her anger, she just no longer wanted to be affiliated with this man. Why? Came the faint question in her mind and her response was an overwhelming sense of disgust. He only cared for her weakness, her frailty, that was her beauty. He must be one to look at a snow flake and not appreciate the power of a glacier. She was no rose to sit in his garden and be appreciated and when wilted, waited upon to bloom again. Now she was here to stay and whether she wanted to stay with him was indefinite.

He stopped quite suddenly, her thoughts and feet that ghosted his own step taking her out of the afternoon traffic and noise and into the peace of houses that stared after them, waiting for the shuffling silence to be broken yet not a singe word was passed between them and then when the rows of houses and faded away, they walked over long strips of empty road where only the wind rushed. Then he took no more steps and she stopped following.

"I don't love you." She blurted suddenly. The wind rushed from before him and through his hair, whipping his smell behind him and over her like warmth on a cold day. She closed her eyes and dropped her head, her heart was decided.

"I am sorry Hisana." He spoke softly.

"It changes nothing." She turned away from him and began walking away. "You are free of me Byakuya-san, our marriage is no more."

She walked home with the calm of a suicide. Her heart felt nothing, it was as though the muscle that had raced in her bosom for so long and so hard in wont of him had finally collapsed unto itself and died. It was as though the thing had rotted from within itself and shriveled. She went home and said nothing, not to Yuzu or Karin and she had no answer for Ichigo's probing stare. She went to Ichigo's room and locked Kon out. Methodically she stripped and turned on the hot shower and sat her bare buttocks on the floor, feeling the water sting her flesh. As she sat there staring at the four leaf clover shower curtain she realized- she now knew why the hollow screamed.

…

"I don't love you." The words played on an endless loop in his mind, it didn't hurt less that her saying to dissolve their marriage, it was her saying that she didn't love him. It never occurred to him that may be a possibility, Fifty six years and he never thought she would not love him. The words roared in his head and her voice changed to a rush that hissed it spitefully in his ear. He could hear nothing, he wanted to feel nothing but his emotions forced themselves past his self-made control, his foundation was shaken and his world was crumbling. He had not been aware of it but he had placed much on her coming back but now that she was back, he did not count on her rejecting him.

"I don't love you." He muttered, stepping into the Sereitei, he knew what he had to do.

…

"What the-" Renji shuddered and Momo stared up at the sky with horrified eyes.

"That reiatsu-" She gasped at the wight that slammed into her. Around them subordinates cried out as they fell to their knees under the devastating weight. It felt as though the reiatsu was digging into them all and tearing them apart limb by limb, it was as though a thousand blades had descended upon them all and was cutting at their flesh, it was as though they were being tortured from the inside and out. Then it stopped and the day was still.

"What was that?" One of the subordinates gasped, getting to his feet, others did the same, staring at their bodies, looking for damage to themselves, sure such force was physical and had actually damaged them.

"Kuchiki Taicho!" Renji ran forward happily, all the subordinates did. He walked past as though he could see none of them and those nearest him would swear all he had said was- I don't love you.

…

Why? Why had she done it? Why had she hurt him so? Why had he not seen it coming? Of course she wouldn't be ill when she came back and he had not considered who she would be when she did return but he thought she would love him all the same as much as he loved her.

Love, it was a word he wanted to dig out of him mind physically, he wanted to take his own hands around love and crush it to a bloody pulp. Love, he wanted scratched out of the tongues of every man, he wanted it banned from the face of the earth, the idea, he wanted frosted over and then burned in larva, he wanted love obliterated from the world.

"You do not love me." He muttered.

"Kuchiki Taicho, what are you doing here?" Came a bright voice from far away. He tried, he really did to look at this woman properly, who ever she was.

"I am here to destroy my marriage documents."

…

What did he expect? Did he even know her? As a sick woman what choice did she have but to lie about all day and await his return? But now she needed him, she missed him insufferably, she needed him to be there for her and he was no where to be found and even so, he wasn't the man she loved. He was dimensionless and expressionless, he was extreme and beautiful, only worthy of looking at- he reminded her of Vogue- no one actually wore the stuff from Vogue but it was a coveted fashion magazine anyway.

She had slipped into her side in the bath at one point, the shower had long since run cold but she did not care, what was the need? What was the point anymore? This was their old relationship, she was only a doll for him to play with when he had time, only a business partner, another one of his pretty little things to look at and enjoy and then go off and do what ever he wanted. Perhaps it was stubbornness on her part, perhaps she did not care though, she wanted to have a say maybe. What was her former self thinking when she married him? What was she thinking?

…

"I am sorry, Kuhchiki Taicho, but you must follow procedure before-" HE could not stand her words, he did not care, the pain was more than he could bear, he could not stand knowing as he did, he must do as she asked before his sanity hit, he must destroy it to the point of being irreparable, he must annihilate the bond.

Senbonzakura consumed her in black. He did not want her dead, only silent. He walked past her limp hand on the floor, she would not be able to disturb him. He was at the tall door that stood twenty feet above him and eight feet wide from the middle. The key was somewhere but he did not care, there was no security on this door anyway, what would anyone want to do with marriage license anyway? The door was turned to dust before he could even think it now his emotions had made him completely incapacitated, he was beyond the reach of himself. His feet trundled past saw dust that breathed out of his way with his every soft step and whirled as his reiatsu settled heavily after his step. He knew where it was and automatically he found the gilded drawer and then he had the paper in his fingers.

"STOP!" HE looked up to find the Gotei thirteen with their zanpactu drawn, Kenpachi was coming at him so slowly and the document was dust.

…

Her screams matched a hollows and ripped the house. She held her hands to her chest and screamed for the sake of pain that tore her apart. Ichigo was upstairs and when he found the door locked, he threw himself at it, again and again against her screams until it suddenly gave way and he was by her side and holding her naked body in his arms and willing her to no longer scream as the pain continued to tear at her.

…

Somewhere a battle was going on. Senbonzakura was all around him, shredding and wreaking havoc on everything. Around him all of the Gotei thirteen were going at him. It was all happening in a matter of seconds but to him it seemed hours. Time stretched endlessly with no beginning and no dimension. The entire Gotei thirteen had him on his knees, several zanpactu at his throat, there was something forming over his face and a hollow scream was erupting from his soul and then he was surrounded by kido and everything went black.

**AN- So... sorry for making you all wait so long but... well just enjoy.**


	14. Chapter 14

He opened his eyes and found himself lying on his back staring up at the parallel beams of wood. He moved his legs and arms, there was a slight constriction as someone had placed a restraint kido on him. He willfully sat up, breaking the spell and looked around. He was being held in a heavily guarded hospital room and he knew why. His memories were already there but the feelings were gone, somewhere he had folded them up and tucked them away and he did not care for them either. He slipped out of bed and walking over to the mirror, pulled down the neck of his robes until they fell to his waist and surveyed his bare broad chest, flawless as ever and whole.

"Kuchiki Tiacho, it is good to see you awake." He looked in the mirror back at Unohanna Taicho and closed his eyes in acknowledgment and pulled his robed back on. Everything came back to him slowly and he looked back at Unohanna Taicho who was watching him though coolly quite closely.

"What are my charges?" He asked, readjusting his robes.

"There is talk of demotion." He let his hands fall to his sides, there was a lack of something inside of him and she seemed to notice. "Are you all right?"

"Quite." He returned to bed and and sat down. "What are my orders?"

"It is still being discussed what to do with you-"

"Unohanna Taicho!" Isane rushed in just then. "Ah! Kuhciki Taicho! Your are awake." She looked nervous and trembled slightly as she focused hard on her own Taicho.

"What is it Isane?" Unohanna encouraged her concentration by fixing her with a steady gaze of her own.

"The- the Gotei Thirteen has called a meeting and asks you to bring the patient if he is awake."

"Very well, thank you." Isane bowed and hurried back out.

"Come with me." Byakuya quietly stood.

….

"Are you all right?" Ichigo asked, coming up behind her. She smiled a little and nodded.

"Quite." She answered before turning back to straining the morning rice. She had slept all night and woke up early that morning feeling as though a part of her soul had fallen out. Her head was nothing more than a jumble of words and thoughts and she could discern nothing so she had fallen to house work. She sifted the rice free of water and placed it in a stone pot; it was silly, the idea of her being waited on, she liked doing things her way. She turned around and found Ichigo watching her carefully, she allowed herself a small smile.

"You didn't have to, Yuzu would have gotten up and done it."

"I know, but I think the girl might need some extra sleep." She said with a hint of an apology in her voice. After her screaming episode, she had fallen into a fit of fever that lasted some five hours and though it was the week end, she thought it only fair to make amends.

"Well let me wash the wares." Ichigo said, jumping to his feet and standing by her side, took the pot from her hands.

….

"Kuchiki Taicho, how do you plead to the charges laid against you?"

"Guilty." Byakyua answered. He was standing in the meeting hall of Squad One. His zanpactu had been confiscated and he was made to wear no more than a red bracelet that kept him from doing any kido.

"Because the damage done to the subordinate of the the eleventh squad Kitara had been minimal, it will be ignored." Hitsugaya paused as he read the verdict, "Are there any objections." At first there was only responding silence.

"Ahh, I have one-" Mayuri began.

"Do you really?" Shunsui drawled from where he stood, he shot Mayuri a gaze from under his hat. Mayuri pursed his lips.

"Not quite." The scientist said.

"Well then-"

"Actually yes I do." Mayuri decided to ignore the tension in the room. "Is no one else bothered by the mere fact that a Taicho had attained hollowfication? What had caused that is what I want to know and can it be done again-"

"My wife has returned." Byakyua responded. The shock was instantaneous.

"What? She left ya or something?" Kenpachi drawled. Byakyua had stiffened ever so slightly and his eyes shut "SHE LEFT YA!" There was the hint of glee in the scarred man's voice at the sheer cruelty of the idea. "HOW FREAKING IRONIC IS THAT!THE BITCH LEFT HIM!" The snap was almost audible and Kenpachi had been sent through the wall behind him and Byakyua stood where he had.

"She is not..." Byakyua stared at him, there was no need for words when there was a demon in his eyes. His reiatsu flared there and sparked and his body ran white with power.

"Kenpachi, that is enough." Yammamoto broke the responding sock to Byakyua's reaction. "Kuchiki Taicho will be kept under close observation by Squad Four, any objections?"

"WAIT A DAMN MINUTE!" Kenpachi now glowed gold with his own anger. "I MUST BE MAD TO-"

"Kenpachi Zaraki," Yammamoto's voice cut clear over the anger of the Eleventh Squad Taicho, "that is quite enough." Kenpachi looked from Byakyua to Yammamoto and back to Byakuya and his eyes widened a little for the sake of what he found in the man's eyes. "Are there any objections?" A few Taicho murmured their agreement. "Then this meeting is dismissed

….

"Are you sure you know what ya doin' old man?" Shunsui asked, after all the Taicho had gone and they stood watching some subordinates fix the wall.

"I mean I don't think it very safe," Ukitake supported his friend apologetically.

"Kuchiki Taicho would be quite all right." Yammamoto answered, also very interested in the work of the Squad members. "She will come back." He continued to which Ukitake lent him a look of skepticism. Shunsui pulled down his hat so that only his smirk showed.

"What makes you so sure?" Ukitake demanded.

"Because," Yammamoto sighed wearily, "I am an old man." He knocked his cane on the wooden floor and shuffled away.

….

They eventually let him go. After all of the paper work was done, really Hitsugaya encouraged the woman in her laziness and he wonder if it was for the sake of a little love. Byakyua paused his motions and inwardly blanched, that word was supposed to be wiped from his mind, he was supposed to forget her, he was supposed to do as Nobles do, as he was taught. He looked down the long and empty corridor touched by silver moonlight with shadows of falling cherry blossoms the only motions of the silent night and he wondered; why then was he doing this?

Rukia was not home, she was not in bed when he entered her room. Of course, she thought he did not know her but he actually did know she liked her space and sure enough, there was two futons, one larger than the other. One was simple and plain with neutral colors and another one was full of silk pillows and covers. It was far from neatly made though quite clean, books spread on one side and the rest of it too empty and his heart was wrought.

He sat down on the lavish bed and very carefully lay down next to the empty space. He let his slender fingers ghost over the impression of her body and closing his eyes, he cold smell and almost feel her; so close yet too far away.

"Byakyua-dono." He did not care to open his eyes and Senbonzakura was standing over him with a beautiful face, the deep and ugly scar steadily bleeding, his hair and clothes sopping wet from the rain of Byakyua's soul. Instead he let his hand rest on her pillow and allowed sleep to take him completely.

"Byakuya-sama." The nobleman opened his eyes and rolled over unto his back. Rukia was knelt at his side.

"Rukia." She seemed surprised at his tone; his humanity was showing and he sat up to hide it. They really had no words for each other and his hair cascaded over his shoulders, curtaining her out. He shifted his head lightly and looked over at the white touched space where the remnants of the contours of her last rest was dressed in gray shadows; there was no such thing as miracles.

….

They were finally alone, after a week of running around and constantly missing each other, of her running the house and him coming home late; of him being gone before she was awake, of moment shared with too many people in the room; they were finally alone.

Ichigo flitted around like a bird trapped in a cage. He could not be still, he could not enjoy her. Hisana sat on his bed beside him, her silk night gown slipping off her shoulders, she looked down into his eyes. She was so beautiful it was painful; he could not stand it. He was off the bed and behind his computer.

He spoke too fast, he spoke too much, his heart was about to collapse. Hichigo had fallen silent, overpowered by the situation; by Ichigo's own willfulness. He could not look at her for the sake of her beauty and for the pain of knowledge. Finally she arrested him into his chair and settled on his lap. Placing her hands around his neck, she looked into his eyes and he stared right back. He could not look too long; it felt like he was looking at the sun; she was just too beautiful.

Finally he kissed her. It was brief, too brief and she had no response. She looked back at him sorrowfully and leaned on his chest.

"I am sorry," Ichigo muttered into her hair.

"It's quite alright."

"No, it's not." He pulled up the strap of the night gown that was slipping down her smooth white arm. "I think we know who you belong to." She sighed a little and traced his bare chest and closed her eyes, only seeing the form of another.

"Yes," She whispered, "I do."

**AN- So... enjoy... ?**


	15. Chapter 15

Hisana looked at herself in the mirror through tired eyes, it was her own stubbornness blinding her, her will to be a different person to not be waited upon hand and foot, to not be seen as weak or sickly or needy; to stand on her own two feet and in it she had pushed the man she loved away. She had not just pushed him, she shoved him over a cliff and let him fall. Now though, she had realized what she had done, she had been kissed awake and could not see the nightmare she had made her own life by abandoning her love.

Hisana sighed heavily and put down the brush- she needed him to come back. Now that all was said and done and she had been stripped of her title, her rites, of all the glitz and glamor of the rich life; all the things that disgusted her the single raw fact remained- she loved him; beyond time and life itself she loved Byakyua Kuchiki.

What did she love of this man? What? It was a silly reason to be angry was it not? She had been angry because she was lonely and now she had created a deep chasm of loneliness between herself and the very man she loved. Her own pride had pushed her so far to speak lies she did not mean and ordinarily would not have considered saying. Her very character she had allowed to die. She looked deeply into the mirror- the woman who loved Byakuya- she was right there in her heart. It was not Byakyua who had changed but herself who had donned a mask of false expectations. She chose not to realize it but she was happy simply to have him back- her own doubts was simply stubbornness but now she knew, she was wrong.

She adjusted the red kimono and the thick green silk obi. Her hair was swept up out of her face- and she looked hard into her own eyes. The woman was there but she was worn beyond belief. The kimono had a phoenix rising from the hem and the obi was a solid dragon crawling across her torso- it made her feel a little stronger wearing the designs and needed all the strength she could get looking like a wilting flower wrapped in silk it was the best she could muster. She opened the door of her room and shunpoed to the Kuhiki manor; maybe he would talk to her today.

….

"Kuchiki-sama," The servant was bowed at the door to the back of his master. Byakyua blinked as he lay- he had not slept all night.

"I am awake." The servant did not move. "What is it?"

"Unohanna Taicho is here to see you." He closed his eyes.

"I shall be with her in a moment." The servant shuffled away and Byakyua got off the bed and looked at the impression of his wife. His own impression had been pushed into the bed so that it looked as though he had been there the whole time but in his heart he knew it was not the truth- he had not been there with her and he left her alone for too long. Two bodies had lain in this bed the impression said- two bodies full of love but never one laying beside the other- he wanted his Hisana back even if she didn't marry him she could be a geisha or a mistress; what ever she wanted but he simply could not exist without loving her.

He crept out the empty room quietly- Rukia had long since ceased sleeping there but his quiet was for the sake of the memories of her still sleeping there and the piece of his soul he had left lying in that bed beside the depression in the futon. He shut the door behind him and looked out into the quiet world that was without peace- the world without Hisana.

….

"Good morning, may I speak to Byakuya-dono please." Hisana asked the servant at the station. He looked at her apologetically.

"What is your business?" His authority was shallow as he could see she was weak from within.

"I would like to discuss..." She really had nothing to say to him, she simply wanted to see him, to know what kind of damage had been done- she knew what she was doing was wrong but her own guilty conscience drove her out of sleep and to his home every day for the past week. Yet the response was always the same- he was not home; she had just missed him.

"This way please ma'am." The servant turned away, not bothering her to grieve about why she wanted to see her ex-husband so badly. "Please wait here." He left her to kneel at a low wooden table in the main hall and scuttled behind rice paper doors and out of sight.

….

"How are you Kuchiki Taicho?" Unohanna Taicho was watching him closely.

"Very well." He said as cheerily as his natural demeanor would allow which was two degrees above freezing. Silence rested between them. "Did you have breakfast?" Byakyua asked quietly, having nothing better to say.

"Yes, I did." More silence.

"Why are you here." He was tiring of this, he simply wanted to get to work and get the day over and done with.

"Yammamoto Taicho told me to come and check up on you." He had nothing to say to that for a long moment.

"And I am well am I not." Their conversation was too punctuated silences and the room though bright and bathed in sunshine was unwelcoming by a cold host.

"Are you really?" He looked at her, gray eyes silently daring her to see something that was not there. Being able to hide how he felt was a time preserved art. No one beyond the members of his household knew he slept in her bed at night but even then no one could claim he cried or anything of the sort because he had not slept since she left him. "I see."

….

"Where are you going?" Ginrei stopped the servant who winced obviously before turning to the aged noble.

"She is back." Ginrei stood deliberating the next move. "Excuse me if I seem out of place Genrei-dono but perhaps it is better you let her see Byakyua-dono?" Genrei looked at the servant so sharply he quailed as he stood.

"Indeed, you are quite out of place."

….

Unohanna Taicho took her leave. There was no more signs of hollowfication on Byakuya's part. Nothing had changed about him except his eyes- the hope in them was gone it was as though he had placed a piece of his soul somewhere- the last living piece and the rest of him was allowed to run loose and behave as a noble ought to do.

"Unohanna Taicho!" The small woman was dressed in a red kimono so bright she could not help but watch. The wearer was only suddenly aware of the woman behind her and turned to allow her a small smile. Unohanna could see this woman was degenerating.

"Hisana-" She did not know what title to put after the name.

"Where are you coming from?"

"From a meeting with Kuchiki Taicho." Something horrible happened to her face as she said that, it was as though she had killed the woman with just those words. The blood drained from her face and hope died from her eyes.

"You met him?" There was a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"Yes," There was more silence to her words, "where are you just coming from anyway?"

"Excuse me, there is something I must get to." Hisana bowed apologetically to the woman before her and shunposed away. Unhoanna stared after the leaves that fluttered to a rest in her wake; that pair was perfect for each other.

….

She did not want to do it but she had to, before her very soul collapsed from guilt and loneliness, from the sake of the sin she had committed that corrupted her to the core. She had destroyed something beautiful and now she had to set it right even if it destroyed her. There are no barriers in her world- she had borne enough.

….

Her anger fulled her and burned all out of her path. Her beauty silenced the world and time itself stopped to simply pay respect She entered squad six and found herself at the table and looming over the man with red hair who had been so rude to her the last time she had been there. Now, she put fear in him with her fiery gaze.

"Where is he?"

"Squad four." She could deal with him later, for now she had to deal with him before she collapsed into herself as she burned out like a supernova.

She entered squad four and unhindered. When she found the Taicho's quarters, rather than question her presence, Hitsugaya melted away at the sight of her ans Matsumoto let herself be washed out of the room wit her Taicho, "Kuhciki Taicho."

….

He could have felt her all morning. He knew she was going to come after him and he wondered what had taken her so long. He could handle her; or so he thought.

"Kuchiki Taicho," He herd his name and he looked up and sure enough, there she was in a flaming red kimono, blooming brighter than any flower, her hair pulled up and how she glowed, her beauty was too much for anyone and anything and for him-

He was quite suddenly angry. His own heart betrayed him and he was insatiably angry. So angry, he had to look away from her. There was sheer chaos in his heart as from the moment she left him he was sure he would take her back but now as she stood before him, his anger was unprecedented. He shuffled his papers and did not look up at her again.

"Leave me alone." It was all he said.

….

Who did she think she was? Bending and breaking him at will? It was emasculating and too inconsiderate. The way she treated him, he wondered if this was the woman he had married, was this the woman he loved? He wasn't sure any more.

Byakyua looked down into the pool just beyond his knees and beside him Senbonzakura was sitting, mask on and quite frozen.

"I- I cannot take much more, Byakyua-dono." The spirit said, shivering.

"You cannot take a little cold," Byakyua looked directly at the spirit, "you disappoint me." The spirit however would not be put off by his master.

"Don't do what she is doing, Byakuya-dono." Byakyua's eyes widened slightly, "Don't be as stubborn as she, someone has to be the bigger person." The nobleman looked away and at the restless cod.

"You are at leave to roam on your own." Byakyua answered quietly to which the spirit disintegrated into a flurry of cherry blossoms and took to the wind.

….

She had used the last of herself. She had over done but she expected no less- or had she expected more? She could not say. What did matter was that her own soul felt as though it was dying. It would have been less painful to have been locked in a dark room. She looked around at the gloomy ceiling with tired eyes.

"Byakyua, I love you," She whispered, "please forgive me for I am a fool. Please, save me from myself. My heart is yours, my soul cannot live without a heart and a mind cannot function without either." She curled up in a ball, tears streamed down her face and she wept quietly into the pillow. "Please, Byakyua, find it in your heart to take me back for I cannot live without you."

**AN- No more hell please- I just want this story to end... **


	16. Chapter 16

"Hey Ichigo,"

"Hey Misaki." Ichigo grunted causally.

"Could you do me a favor? Ichigo raised a brow indicating he was listening.

"Could you set me up with the hot new girl?" Ichigo looked at Misaki

"Why don't you do it yourself?" Misakai blushed a rubbed the back of his head.

"It's just that she's kinda hard for me to approach." He looked down at his feet and Ichigo took the opportunity to look at Hisana. Hisana was enrolled as Kurosaki Hisana; the new girl of Karakura High; Ichigo's cousin and she was instantly considered the hottest thing in the market. Hisana however seemed too distracted and miserable to care; the Hisana Ichigo new had died somewhere and left this shell of a person behind.

"I..."

"Please Kurosaki!" Misakai begged, bowing as far as his waist would allow. "Please do me this favor!"

"Ehh," The class was looking at them. "All right! All right! Just stand up already!" He hissed, stealing another glance at Hisana who seemed to notice nothing.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

"All right, alright-"

"Good morning class." Misaki drifted off to his seat and Ichigo sighed relief not knowing how to get rid of the over-gracious Misaki himself, he was silently thankful that class had begun.

….

"Umm, Hisana,"

"Yes?" She was standing at the stove slowly stirring the rice looking rather distant.

"Would you go out with one of my friends?" He didn't know how else to ask her but one thing he did know about Hisana was she hated beating around the bush.

"Huh? Which one?" She looked far from interested but instead blew into the bottom of the Japanese coal pot making her cheeks red. Ichigo paused and looked at her- she was a beauty with her hair falling into her eyes that had turned so dark and deep of late; why was Byakyua being as he was?

"Misaki?" She turned over the grilled squid kabobs and shrugged. "Sure, why not." Her tone was unenthusiastic and Ichigo wondered if she understood what he was saying at all.

"Umm, all right then, do you want his number?"

"Hmm," She nodded and waved her hand airily, "just leave it..." Ichigo backed out slowly not knowing what else to do he made his departure silent so for the least he could say he left the scene with grace.

…

The phone was ringing. Ichigo lent her his cellphone to call.

"Hello?"

"Oh hi!" She faked cheeriness and looked away from her reflection so as to avoid the true feelings in her eyes that would kill this attempt.

"Hey...?"

"This is Hisana!"

"Oh hello Hisana!"

"Umm, Ichigo told me that you...?"

"Hah, yeah umm... would you like to go out with me?"

"Sure!" She sat on the fluffy light green toilet seat, "Sure I'd love to!"

"Great, how about Saturday?"

"Mhm, that would be great!"

"Midday!"

"Of course!" Misaki laughed at the other end at her enthusiasm.

"Great, I'll meet you in the mall at midday then."

"Okay! Sure!"

"Okay then... see you."

"Bye."

"Bye." She hung up and stared at the phone in her hand, mind in disarray; what had she just done? She looked up at the mirror in front of her just high enough to catch the top of her head and her eyes. The enthusiasm died leaving behind only darkness and gloom, the little light dimmed leaving her features ashen and she looked away with tears in her eyes; "Byakuya... I am sorry."

….

The boy she was with... she was disenchanted. He was too immature. He wasn't ready to woo a woman like her and she could sense he was trying very hard. Every where they went she could feel no interest. She held on to his arm to remind herself not to wander way- she was with him and he was her entertainment and she was his company.

She tried so hard to enjoy it and she did forget him for a while. They had lunch together and talked about nothing he knew nothing of her but she knew everything of him. She smiled and laughed at all the right times and for a while she felt as though she was in one of those sit-com she saw all the time on television; it was a wonder there was no audience laughter or maybe there were beings somewhere out of her sight laughing at them and their witty conversation.

It was so easy for her to charm and to please and he with all his practice did the same just as well or rather he was silent save for when she encouraged him to talk. The whole affair was far from a disaster but still...

He leaned over to kiss her and she stepped back, turning her head aside a little.

"I'm sorry," Misaki blushed and stepped back himself.

"It's all right."

"It's not you."

"I know." She looked away from him into the ink blot sunset and he turned away a little.

"Who ever he is, he really is special huh?" She bit her lip and stared harder at the sunset. "Well I had a great time."

"As did I."

"Good night." He said and before she could say a word, he took her hand and kissed it. "He had better take you back." She blinked back her tears, thankful he could not see her face in the shadows of the dying day. She didn't trust her voice and instead nodded her head hoping he would see her gesture in the dark.

"I bid you adieu." She turned and watched him walk down the steps. He stopped at the bottom to bow and then turned around and walked into the sunset. By the time she decided it was time to go in it was quite dark and the crickets were about screeching through the night. She wandered inside intending on starting dinner just as soon as she got out of her clothes. NO one was home yet but maybe someone would comeback- Ichigo for the least would or Yuzu and Karin. She went up to Ichigo's bedroom and leaned her forehead against the door and closed her eyes, a tear trembled out and turning on the light she turned around and gasped.

"What are you-?"

**AN- Sorry about the slow chapters :P enjoy :D**


	17. Chapter 17

"Lady Hisana." Senbonzakura strode across the room from the open bedroom window and fell on his face gracefully at her feet. "Lady Hisana, you must not give up!" Hisana stood with her hand curled to her breast staring down at the spirit with confused curiosity.

"Senbonzakura!" She finally managed breathlessly, "What are you doing here?"She looked around the room, "Where is your.. master?" She couldn't make herself say his name out loud for all the pain even the thought of him caused to say his name would be to dissolve any possibility of happiness for days.

"Lady Hisana, you must return to your husband." The spirit answered, straightening so that he sat on his knees in the formal Japanese way. Hisana stiffened at his words and walked around Senbonzakura.

"He isn't my husband." She answered, loosening her hair.

"I will recognize no other woman but you as his lady." Senbonzakura responded.

"I appreciate your loyalty Senbonzakura but there is nothing to be done."

"There is," She didn't stop brushing her hair nor did she look at him but her heart skipped a beat and her body flamed at the thought of hope. "You can return me to Kuchiki-dono." She made no response but instead continued to steadily brush her hair and when she was finished, she put down the brush and surveyed her handiwork.

"Why would I do that?" She muttered to her reflection.

"Do you not want him back?" Of course she did but to chase a man was far beneath her; the bruising of her pride was more than she could take; she had already chased him thus far, already exhausted herself over him and now she was to go to him purposefully and simultaneously make him see that she was worth it? To put herself on such a display was a deep insult to her lady-like demeanor.

"Go back to your master Senbonzakura." The spirit stood and she turned around to look at him," Gomenmansai." She bowed a little.

"No, it is I who am sorry," Senbonzakura rushed at her and she stood staring at his approach and just before it seemed he would run her over, he changed into a bolt of pink light that dashed against her chest. When the glowing stopped around her neck held a heavy silver necklace that looked like the netting of a thousand cherry blossoms.

Hisana stared down at her chest; what was she to do about it?

"Senbonzakura?" The necklace made no response- it was a decision that was Senbonzakura's but her views did not coincide.

….

"What can I do for you?" Rukia asked as cheerily as her natural demeanor allowed. She loved her sister and was glad that finally she was needed by the woman. Hisana to her was a shining beacon of a lady and all that she should aspire to as for all she knew of her sister was the cool demeanor that reflected her brother's which made her in Rukia's opinion the perfect couple. Everything that had happened between them she knew nothing of- as far as Rukia could see, Byakyua and Hisana were just simply taking care of their business and everything beyond it was none of her business.

Her sister reached into the folds of her kimono and held out a necklace. Rukia stared in shock and then blushed.

"Is that... Senbonzakura?"

"Yes, I need you to give it back to Ku- ku-"

"Nii-sama?" She could hardly bring herself to say the name. Rukia assumed her reasons were romantic and the blush blooming on Hisana's cheeks she did not know was the dawn of tears that Hisana's lady-like attitude would not allow.

"Yes." She breathed once she trusted her voice. From Rukia's view, Hisana having her brother's spirit in her hands meant either an apology or a gesture of pure love and trust- either way it was something she was sure she could help with.

"Oh then come to the cherry blossom viewing with me tonight!" She answered brightly standing. In her glee, Rukia failed to notice anything of her sister and Hisana, not wanting to worry her sister played along.

"Sure."

"You could wear this kimono nii-sama placed in your room!"

"Kimono?" Hisana felt tears spring to her eyes and she blinked hard at them.

"Sure, I'm sure he did it so that when you came back you could wear it!" Rukia rushed over to her and placed the large silk box in her lap. "I didn't check it yet." Hesitantly Hisana lifted the top and peeped in and caught her breath. The colors were blue white of fresh snow and in the darkness of the box it even caught the little lamp light like crystals of ice; the sash was of the same material but of pink very much like cherry blossoms. Hisana quickly closed the box to keep her tears from falling in and ruining the material.

"It's beautiful." She said quietly with and even voice.

"Well, let's change then!"

….

Byakyua's charm was strained that fateful night as he greeted and enjoyed all as warmly as his noble posture allowed but even that was more than he could bear and rather than coming off as his usual impressively engaging self he all but froze those who approached him and of that he was fully aware. He wondered at the power of a woman who could turn his heart and soul so and destroy him from within- who was she? Who was she...?

His attention had been caught by the murmurs of his party and as the crowd parted, he stopped breath taken. The woman standing there was beautifully garbed in layers of ice silk her features every bit as impressively radiant as he could remember.

There was a reason why he never cared for Rukia- she looked like cheap coal next to her sister. There was no way she could ever touch the woman in looks, class or charm. She walked up to him and bowed. He could see directly down into her cleavage where a very familiar necklace lay.

"Thank you for your invitation, Byakyua-dono." She looked up at him with a beautiful smile that flashed like a dagger in the dark.

"It is good to see you, Hisana." Her smile never faltered but instead she swept away with her sister on her arm and was swallowed by a crowd of admirers.

"It would seem Lady Kuchiki has returned." His adviser remarked by his side.

"That is very good," Byakyua answered, "now I can take my leave until later." Wordlessly he sunk into the darkness and wandered through his compound until he was out of shot of the warmth and noise of the party.

In the gray darkness of the dying day, he stood staring at the formless shadows of the cod pond outside of his bedroom unable to think. So lost was he in mangled thoughts that he did not even notice her.

"Bykayua-dono." She said softly. He looked down to find her standing at his side and he was looking directly down her kimono and at the soft folds of her bosom that cradled a silver necklace that caught the light gracefully.

"Hisana." He turned to her and took her in his strong hands to be sure she was real and indeed she was- more real that anything and how he missed her so. For all she had said and done, simply looking into her eyes, at her radiant beauty, into the depths of her soul and he forgave her in an instant.

Before she could say a word, he pressed his lips against hers, strong and firm. There was hardly hesitation before her mouth opened easily as though his lips were the password and he explored the warm depths of her mouth. They kissed until the sun died completely and a servant lit a lamp to discover them and apologizing profusely he left them alone again.

"Come with me." He said and taking her hand, he pulled her into his bedroom.

"Bykayua-dono." She said quietly. He didn't seem to hear her as he took her in his arms again for another kiss. "Byakyua!" She snapped. He stopped and looked at her- there was anger in her eyes and a strained pain there. "I'm sorry, I can't do this." She stepped back and he stared at her. The silence was long drawn during which she could only feel the painful loneliness of the past weeks, of all the time she was without him, of all her attempts at seeing him and then this- she was here and he was standing before her in the flesh but it all felt fake and she could accept nothing that was not genuine.

"I see." He stood and with it stone seemed to grow around him and he walked away. She stood staring after him quietly in the dark. Then he was gone and she was alone and all there remained was regret and she rushed out of the room after him.

….

"Bykauya-dono." She was at his elbow at the party again.

"Not now Hisana." He answered coldly and walked way. She stared after him, something broke in her chest and she followed him.

"I just wanted to say sorry." She said once he was alone. "I just think we should talk before-"

"I don't have time for this." He snapped. It was the first time he had showed any emotion in years and the first bit of it he shows was to her and it was pure hostility. Hisana stood and stared at him incredulously- this man couldn't be serious. Here she was trying to have a conversation with him on a view she shared and where as he could simply have told her later he snapped at her.

The anger boiled and a few looked at her as she glowed golden red with anger. She marched up after him and grabbed his arm.

"Not now." He said evenly without looking. The people in front of him however looked far from interested in the conversation and was riveted by the beautiful woman in the beautiful kimono who glowed with pure rage. It was then he ventured a look.

It was then the back of her hand caught his face. It did no more than turn his head but the force of it and her reiatsu channeled to the ring on her finger cut his cheek and it bled. Several gasped and she stared at him in anger.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" She spat evenly. There was no more she wanted to say but instead raised her head and took a deep breath. Guards rushed forward to detain her even though she did not move. One guard made the mistake of touching her and she glared at him, her body aglow. "Are you mad?" She hissed. His hand dropped and they all stood around her staring helplessly.

She looked over at Byakyua and something broke in her again- instant reality- she had damaged the person she loved. The angry glow died and she pulled Senbonzakura off from around her neck and threw it at his feet. Then, squaring her shoulders, she turned and walked away firmly knowing that this time- it was over; he would never take her back.

**AN- No flakes please.**


End file.
